We are the Strange
by Princess LaLaBlue
Summary: Life is strange for a god seeking salvation. Stranger still when he finds it in a woman terrified of the world who discovers strength in his flaws. "I will keep you close, and in time you will desire me as I you." He whispered as his lips ghosted over her own, his hand drifting to her hip as he felt her tremble. He watched her frown, "Loki...I'd sooner poke Banner with a stick."
1. Chapter 1

I've been wanting to write a fic for Avengers for a very, very, very long time. But time and time again I just couldn't, but thanks to reading a lot of fantastic fics and the undying inspiration that is Loki and Tom Hiddleston, I came up with this story. I hope you all enjoy reading it as I have writing it. This story only deals with the first Avengers movie.

* * *

The day had begun so terribly and fate seemed determined that it should end the same.

"How could you do this to me Erik?" She accused, making Dr. Selvig cringe at the use of his first name. She only called him that when she was angry at him, which happened to be more times than he liked to recall.

Both of them were tired, and the oppressing mood of the building being closed up for the night did not help them any. It had been a long day for both, but it was only going to get longer thanks to this conversation. The empty hallway carried the sound of their footsteps far ahead of them, bouncing off of the grey colored walls and dim windows. They walked passed one window in particular that offered a view of the quad, momentarily distracting Selvig from having to answer his young friend. His eyes darted between the buildings that bordered the green lawn, watching a few late night studiers make their way back to the dorms as the campus settled in for the night while he tried to think of a reasonable answer to give the woman that would calm her apparent feeling of betrayal.

"It will only be for a week. Two, at most."

He could feel an oppressive pressure rise as if to hit him as the young woman glared at him. Wrong answer he guessed.

"You're going to delay Jane's study. She's expecting you back in New Mexico any day now to help her, and frankly I've got things on my own plate." She told him as they continued down the length of the hall, passing a few other professors that had stayed late who looked their way at her volume. Her resonant voice held a watered down accent that could not be placed, but it annunciated her syllables softly in varying cadence. Hoping to bring the conversation down a tone, Selvig whispered.

"Jane doesn't need to know about this. It's a…private study, of sorts."

"Two weeks, and you drag me into it?" She sighed in exasperation, "Why couldn't you have requested someone else to assist?"

This was hardly what she was in the mood to hear. It was the habit of her superiors at Culver University to get her to do their chores for them, even the ones outside of her department. For how much she was indebted to the college, what with them making a lot of exceptions for her, she knew that they held what she owed them over her head. Thus making her normally stubborn nature more compliant to do as they asked. But to have Selvig, her friend, get the go-ahead from them for her to be his assistant and not tell her till the last minute twisted her gut irritatingly.

"Like who? Thomson? He wouldn't survive in that country, and all he ever talks about are his tropical fish. Besides, I thought you wanted to get more time in the field anyway." Selvig pointed out, and watched as Elizabeth's hard stare became softer as her incurable curiosity took over. Stopping in the middle of the hallway, he was forced to look down to meet her intense eyes, the color of sun bleached forget-me-nots framed by thick glasses. She was rather short in height despite the heels she often wore, but she had this strange talent of looking up at others without ever tilting back her head, making her seem indifferent despite the passion with which she spoke.

"That's another thing. Since when does physics require field research? And in Iceland at any rate?"

"Some magnetic fields have been acting kind of funny up there. I want to check them out." He explained with a shrug. It only made her stare more accusing.

"Well, that hardly requires me then. I'm an archaeologist, remember? I like to play in the dirt, not calculate photons or whatever it is you do."

"Your specialty is Nordic cultures, isn't it? So you speak the language there and know the land better than any guide ever could. You'll be useful, trust me, and you get your own study down or something if you wanted to. I could even help you do some radiocarbon dating up near that cave you like so much. Free of charge." He pressed, and immediately he could see Elizabeth's features soften at his mention of the place he knew she was so fascinated with. Wishing he played that card earlier, he started to walk off towards the end of the hall, she following after with a sigh of defeat.

"I was planning on visiting my parents next week, not trekking across cold, rocky landscapes helping you stick probes in the ground." She muttered as her posture became less stiff, a sure sign that any minute now she was going to concede. Elizabeth was stubborn, but by no means unmovable. The trip could prove worthwhile to her, the area he mentioned being one rife with village foundations and of course the cave she had been privately researching. Plus, she valued his opinion of her, and to have personally requested her even though Thomson was higher up the academic ladder made her happy to know, though she wouldn't tell him. Selvig could tell that he won by the way her cheeks flushed with color and pressed on with a tease.

"What if I also told you that I wanted your charming company? Would that convince you?" He smiled, seeing Elizabeth return the expression out of the corner of his eye, though hers was a bit more mischievous.

"You're a good friend Selvig, but a terrible liar. What's this really about?" Her teasing expression dissipated as Selvig's face fell some, though he tried to keep up his grin that now left his eyes untouched and clouded. When he did not answer, Elizabeth knew what conclusion his silence was hiding.

"It doesn't have anything to do with SHIELD, does it?"

When he did not answer her a second time, his posture instead becoming somewhat sheepish, Elizabeth practically growled in frustration. In truth she was more concerned than anything else, but her tone voiced her ire at her friend's foolishness clearly.

"Damn it Erik, you said you weren't going to get involved anymore! The last time you worked for them you ended up in the crazy house for months after some demented god possessed you! You nearly lost your mind!" She ended with a shout, pressing her lips into a thin line to keep her from saying anything else. He told her some of what happened to him during that time. That he worked for SHIELD and eventually was used for his knowledge, tortured really, but the details of that topic was somewhat off limits between them, even though Selvig was a close friend among the few she had. Watching him remain unresponsive, she sighed. Even after all these months he was not quite the man he used to be, far more nervous and elusive, finding it difficult to juggle the trials of normal life. It was a far cry from who she knew him to be when she first met him.

He had been her mentor and friend since her coming to the university here in Willowdale three years ago, even though she was not a student or a fellow member of his department. Elizabeth couldn't be sure what exactly drove them to be friends, but she always found his passionate and gruff ways to be a comfort in the stiff, white collared environment, and she liked to think he enjoyed her company for the same reasons. She missed him greatly when he went to go off to New Mexico to work with Jane Foster, whose father he had been a colleague with, but believed he would come back. But seeing him broken for so long after the terrorist attack in New York, Elizabeth had feared his return to the school, knowing he was only doing so because he couldn't handle going back to New Mexico to join Jane so soon after the incident to continue their research. And now, he was going to Iceland of all places, to help the very organization that had put him in danger of losing his mind to a deranged psychopath. Hence the reason for her being less than displeased.

They had finally reached the end of the impossibly long hall way to where the elevator was posted. Elizabeth pressed for down and they both waited in silence. Selvig decided he couldn't let the conversation rest however, and pressed on.

"It's a favor for a friend, nothing more. Banner said that he had been picking up some weird signals up there and asked me to–"

"Banner? Green giant, purple pants wearing, tear up half of Harlem Banner? That Banner?" Elizabeth interrupted Selvig's explaining, calming her frustration down long enough to become interested in Selvig's unusual acquaintances. He gave her a reproachful look at her bluntness, but nodded.

"Yeah, and he asked if I could just take a look. It's only mild spikes of radiation, but still there might be something of interest up there and since he doesn't like planes, he asked if I could go and take some data. I could do it alone, but I wanted someone up there who I can trust to read the road signs correctly."

The doors of the elevator parted after a dull chime, and Elizabeth and Selvig went inside. She leaned herself into a corner, lifting her glasses to pinch her nose in exhausted patience, while he pressed for the ground floor before coming over to stand next to her.

"Oh, only mild spikes in radiation. Right, clearly nothing to worry about then. Well, if you're so set on getting frost bite, it looks like I'm going to have…to…"

She trailed off as the professors they had passed in the hall way had managed to finally catch up, just before the elevator doors shut themselves. There were three of them that squeezed themselves in, crowding the small space with apologetic smiles for the lack of room and nods of recognition. As she watched the doors finally bring themselves together in a close, Elizabeth's body tensed as if she had been burned. The start of the elevator made her stomach lurch, and she felt a shaky breath leave her. Blindly her hands reached back for the bar that wrapped itself around the inside of the lift, refusing to think on the fact that there was no exit available to her. She fought the instinct to squeeze her eyes shut, knowing that it would only make it worse, and instead focused on the dull white of the ceiling lightbulb above her, watching it flicker helplessly.

"Are you alright?" Selvig whispered, his concern much more discrete than hers. It took her a minute, but she finally nodded, her grip growing tighter by the second as her knuckles started to turn white.

"Fine." She said quietly, a feeling of anxious embarrassment melding with her small panic at his notice of a change in her composure. Usually she could keep her apprehension behind her practiced mask, appearing calm and collected when really all she wanted to do was run with nowhere to go. But today had been a very long day, from her many lectures to getting her findings in Oslo ready to present to the board, and so her nerves where frayed from strain.

Selvig took a step away from her, knowing that it would help her some to give her whatever space he could. It took more effort than it was worth to rile her in his opinion, but in situations like these Lizzie unraveled from a rather apathetic young woman into a shaking disarray of sweat and hyperventilation. She had always been funny about tight places, and usually took the stairs. Like a plague she avoided anywhere crowded, though in the beginning of their relationship Selvig attributed that to her solitary nature and general dislike for, well, almost everyone. Concern twisted his features as he watched her begin to shudder.

"You've been taking your medications, right? You know you're a mess without them."

She shot him a smirk before chewing the inside of her cheek, "I could say the same of you."

"Touché, but you should really go back to seeing your shrink about your little problem, Lizzie. It's honestly a wonder how you can even stand up in front of your students and give a lecture."

Despite her shaken state, Elizabeth finally assumed the appearance of poise, and let go of the bar behind her. With effort she straightened herself and took on a listless demeanor as she focused on taking off her glasses and cleaning them. It was difficult for her to accept sympathy, and found it repellant more often than not, especially when coupled with unwanted advice. Being that Selvig was a friend however and was only concerned for her, she obliged herself to not show her discomfort.

"I manage. Besides, it's not nearly as bad as it once was."

Only when the elevator doors opened she bolted leave the cramp space, breathing a little better as she and the others stepped out. Walking together the two made for the front entrance, Elizabeth regaining her self-control with every step till she was back to herself by the time they opened the doors and walked out into the night's crisp air, chilling the sweat on her brow. The parking lot before them was lit by a few lampposts whose auburn light made Selvig's annoyingly bright plaid shirt look almost black as it the two were guided their reserved spots.

"Right. Well, with that in mind, the wide open spaces of Iceland would do you some good. No people around for hundreds of miles and no elevators. Nothing but rocks and radiation. It'll do wonders for your health."

Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. He was still a persistent soul despite the changes he had gone through.

"Okay Erik, you got me. I'll go with. But the college better be paying for all of this."

"Don't worry, I've got the money." He brushed off with wave of his hand, "We could rent a tent made out of gold and not be broke."

She gave him a pointed look as she began to explore the pockets of her hooded coat for her keys, "So long as that gold tent comes with a space heater, I'll make the best of it."

"Great, I'll just need a few days to get everything ready to go. You can still visit your parents if you want, for the weekend." The thought made Elizabeth smile genuinely, and she looked down at her boots to hide it. She had been really looking forward to seeing her parents, it having been almost half a year since last she visited the ranch. They spoiledly loved her as parents often did their only child, but their tendency to worry over her and her choosing a less than simplistic life often made her visits infrequent and short. To tell them that she was going to have to cancel their plans would upset them, which in turn would bring many waves of guilt upon herself, but at this point in the conversation she wanted to go now. She wanted to help Selvig keep his head above the dark waters of SHIELD, not wanting him to revert back into the man who could not recognize his friends like he was a year ago. That spiral also started with a 'favor'. And, he was right in his own way about her. Getting out of the country would do her some good as well, give her time to think and reflect on a few things, something she normally did not allow herself to have.

Her smile disappeared as she released a deep sigh that hollowed out her muddled feelings on many matters.

"Do you know what you're doing? I mean exactly?" She finally asked as they approached her sorrowful excuse for a Jetta. Selvig shrugged as his brows knitted in frustration, showcasing his worry lines.

"I've pinpointed where most of the fluctuations are located within a twenty mile radius, but until we get there, I don't know."

Elizabeth stopped before the driver's door of her car to give him a second, more piercing, pointed look. He balked for a minute at her expression before the light of recognition came to his sleep deprived eyes.

"Oh. You mean in general. Same answer then, I guess." He shared with a sigh. Watching his posture shrink into itself, Elizabeth felt a worming guilt for making him confess. Despite that, she was not good at comforting others, to the point where it would make her uncomfortable to even attempt it. It was not a lack of compassion on her side, but perhaps too much where some were concerned, making her heart clench in a rather bothersome way. Hesitantly she placed a hand on his shoulder as she followed her gentler instincts.

"Be sure to pack a parka."

* * *

"Whew, I don't know how I let you talk me into this. I'm not as young as I used to be." Gasped Selvig as they finally reached their destination, a bafflingly tall rock formation at the top of a knoll. A sharp wind pressed against their backs but allowed them to view the land that stretched before them unhindered. Thin clouds blocking the sun did not suppress the vivid green of the Icelandic rock-strewn grassland below them, juxtaposing the fantastically surreal with the serenely mundane. It was a sight both familiar and lovely to Elizabeth, evident by the wide smile of admiration on her lips.

"You can say that again, but you were the one that wanted a view." She flourished a hand to what lay before them, feeling almost euphoric as she let out a satisfied laugh. Usually, she wasn't a very animated person out of consistent habit of constantly trying to remain calm, but for the past five days, she felt a less need to do so. Out in nature and with a good friend, she felt the room to be more of herself, to unfurl all her troubles and sighs. Selvig however did not quite share her love of nature, and let out a sigh of exhaustion as he leaned against a boulder nearby.

"I said I wanted to get on higher ground, not to go hike a mountain." He complained under his breath, but Elizabeth heard him regardless as she set her pack down on the ground.

"This is a hill at best Erik, now stop your grumbling and take your data."

Noticing her happy mood diminish, the grey haired man shook his head as he pushed away from his lean-to with a groan.

"You used to be such a sweet, quiet girl. Whatever happened?"

"The antidepressants started working. And I was never sweet." She answered without pause, watching him set his own pack down to start untying the poles he had strapped to the outside of it. Following her own suggestion, she got out the pieces of equipment she helped carry out of hers, coming over to present them to Selvig, "Do you need any help?"

His cold fingers trembled as he took off his gloves to better twist the contraptions pieces together with little success, looking up at her with eyes squinted as the sun finally decided to show itself, "A little."

Twisting and securing the pieces together, the probe was constructed after a lot of hassle from both creators. Standing up from their work, Elizabeth watched as Selvig stabbed the probe's tripod legs into the ground to better secure it. He stepped back after a moment, his hands in front of him as if he was trying to access a piece of art. In his opinion it probably was. Soon enough, the machine started to flash a single red light, a tone sounding off every three seconds as it began to work.

While she did not understand what it all meant, Elizabeth knew that Selvig was frustrated with the data he had recovered so far. They had not come across any of the radiation Banner was supposed to have seen in this area, but something was amiss. Selvig had told her that the readings were not clear, and his calculations either meant that something was off with the magnetic fields in the region, meaning the beginnings of a polarity shift which only happened every two hundred thousand years or so, or he had forgotten basic algebra. Seeing as how the latter was highly unlikely, Elizabeth didn't know what her response should be. To her it all meant very little, but from the reactions she was reading off of Selvig, it meant something more important outside of the north point of their compass pointing south every now and then.

"Good?" She asked after a while as she pushed back the fur hood of her parka. Erik nodded as he did the same, the weather clearing itself to a pleasant afternoon.

"It will just take a few minutes for it to pick up a reading, and then we'll give it a half hour or so to take some data. After this, I would like to go back to the camp and try the spot by the lake again." He finished wearily. While avid to gain knowledge, the idea of another five mile hike did not appeal to his feet. Elizabeth though seemed to revive as she clapped her hands and rubbed them together to warm her palms.

"Alright. Why don't we break for lunch? How about soggy ham sandwiches with stale chips?"

"So long as we still have some beers in that cooler, then sure." Elizabeth chuckled quietly as she went to her pack to retrieve their lunch. While possessing a brilliant mind, Selvig was not one for taxing his body. As for herself, she inherited a steady endurance from her father. Together they frequently hiked the Blue Ridge Mountains since she was a child, he cultivating her love of the outdoors and history simultaneously with their little trips. However, she wasn't going to object to a bit of alcohol, and so after retrieving the squashed sandwiches from her small cooler, she tossed a can towards her friend.

Selvig ripped off the pull-tab, lifting the beverage in Elizabeth's direction as it hissed and frothed, "Cheers."

She returned the gesture, taking a long, parched drink, relishing the cool liquid running down her throat. It was dangerous to drink alcohol in cold weather, taking heat away from one's core and giving the illusion of warmth, but in the moment she was too content to bring herself to care. Coming over to where Erik was slowly seating himself on the ground, Elizabeth leaned against the rock formation beside him as he let out another sigh, this one sounding content.

"Not a bad country." He said after a few minutes of silent sipping, gesturing around with the hand that gripped the beer, "It's beautiful. Cold, but beautiful."

"Hm." Was Elizabeth's sound of agreement as she appraised the landscape with a keen eye. To her, it was truly beautiful, for its own uniqueness and the peace it offered her every time she returned to it. While of a different descent, Elizabeth felt the serenity of linage and history in this place, possibly because her own personal history connected with it from her studies of the area and the culture. Its stories too felt like her own, from powerful gods to brave warriors who fought for glory. In this aspect alone she was a romanticist, but she could never resist a good legend. Along those thoughts, an idea occurred to Elizabeth.

"After I drop you back off at the camp later tonight, I think I'll take a trip down south for the rest of the evening. There are ruins nearby that I have been wanting to explore for some time. The foundations seem to lay out a small village from the ninth century, and there have been some interesting pottery pieces found there recently."

In her periphery she saw Selvig shake his head in confusion.

"I'll never understand you archeologists. You get giddy over rocks and bits of broken jars. I remember one time you bragged about finding a finger in Norway. Not even a whole finger, a fragment of a finger bone." He scoffed though Elizabeth knew he was teasing. She merely shrugged, answering after she took another sip of beer.

"What can I say? Dusty books and even dustier bones are my weaknesses. Besides, you get giddy as a school girl when plotting graphs about radiation spikes organized by geographical indexes, who are you to judge?"

"Apples and oranges I guess then." Was Selvig's conclusion as he began to tear into a bag of chips.

"Agreed."

Once more the two sat in silence as they finally began on their lunch. Both were lost to the private matters of their mind, Selvig no doubt focusing on his findings so far. As for Elizabeth, she thought on whether it would be worth reminding her friend that he promised to take some readings for her. Though a master in her field, she had a dislike for radiocarbon dating. While incredibly useful, it was too destructive for her taste to be worth for her to personally put any object of ancient significance at risk just to plot it along a time line. Some of her peers, like Thomson, had commented on her sentimental tendency to overprotect the preservation of an artifact. But she liked unraveling the past, not participating in future endeavors. If she allowed for the self-perception, she would be inclined to say the same about the present. Her kind of mind made her live on the world instead of in it, but she had always accepted this about herself, even if she regretted its reality.

In the midst of her thoughts, Elizabeth was pulled back into reality by a sudden change in tempo of the probe's high pitched tones. Selvig too looked up from his lunch, continuing to chew as he glanced at it perplexedly. Having not heard this come from the machine before, Elizabeth looked to him in confusion.

"Is it supposed to do that?"

"It's just taking data, nothing to worry about." He said between bites, "Although it's not supposed to–"

His words were stopped by a sudden rumbling that shuddered through the ground. Animal instinct took over as Elizabeth felt a disturbing sensation of vulnerability oppress her senses, her eyes looking around for any possible explanation. It felt like a freight train was passing them by, accompanied by a terrible sound of a static crackling above them, and the two craned their necks to look up at the sky. Then all at once the earth moved up and down with such a force they were forced to sprawl onto the dirt, trying their best to keep a hold of the unstable ground.

"Erik?!" Elizabeth shouted, keeping her eyes trained on the sky to see it brighten. Her limbs were as useless as strings, and it was all she could to do keep herself breathing. Selvig was not faring much better as the sound continued to crescendo all around them. A rolling thunder poured around them like a curse performed by an orchestra of demons, making their heads ache and teeth clench in pain. Something was happening to the sky above them, but in the panicked moments it was hard to determine what was ripping it apart, if such a thing could be conceived.

Without warning, something came down. A bright, blindingly azure column of light crashed itself down thirty feet away from the cowering colleagues. Rock and chunks of earth were tossed into the air like pebbles by the force, and Elizabeth watched in horror as several pieces came straight towards them.

"Lizzie! Watch out!" Shouted Selvig, who recovered in time to grab the young woman and pull her away before a stone crushed the space her head had been milliseconds before. The wave of light that was the source of the force passed through them both harmlessly, though Elizabeth felt the contact of it like a liquid breeze. Now standing, the two felt their shock and fear be slowly replaced by the clarity of reason, both trying to find out what was happening before their very eyes as a second pulse of the cerulean energy came down, sending another wave of rocks at them they had to avoid. It wasn't until the last column of blue light dissipated as furiously as it came, again passing through Elizabeth and Selvig, that an answer was offered to them.

Elizabeth felt her jaw go slack in absolute and completely disturbing confusion. Standing before them now, where the light had struck, were three giants. As impossible it was for her mind to accept, Elizabeth could not bring herself to even consider any other options. They were giants, towering over her and Selvig despite the distant, and held the bearing of something savage and utterly foreign. Their skin was a deep cobalt, painted with ridges in patterns that intrigued her. Their eyes, red as fresh blood, were focused on the surroundings and for that Elizabeth was glad. She felt the last thing anyone in this world would want were those eyes intent upon themselves. But that changed, of course, when Erik shouted.

"Run!"

Once more primal instinct took Elizabeth's will into its charge, giving her the strength to do as her friend commanded. She far faster than he was, but refused to leave his side as the two of them weaved through the rock formations that led away from the strange creatures. From behind her, she could hear something being shouted in a language she had never heard before or wished to again. That was quickly followed by heavy footsteps. The giants were giving chase. It would only be a matter of seconds till they would bring it to an end.

Breaking through the maze of stone, Erik and Elizabeth stumbled down the steep hillside. She heard more than saw Erik trip, and faltered to a stop. About to run back to him, Elizabeth caught the eyes of one of the giants that had made it over the stones, its red gaze boring itself into her skull. For the life of her, she could not move. All the familiarities of a panic attack seized her, magnified by solid terror a thousand times. Like a mantra the thought of how if she did not run she would be killed repeated itself in her mind, but her body refused to obey, even as the giant materialized a crude weapon of ice in its hands. The stupidly curious part of her wondered how he had done that, when the rest of her fell to the ground in fear when it raised the weapon, ready to strike Erik dead.

She screamed as she prepared to dash towards her friend, unsure of what she would accomplish, but her voice was taken by another sound. Again, a resounding crescendo surrounded them, but this was far less painful to hear. Something traced itself from the sky to the ground, landing behind her. Turning, she saw the soft glimmer of a spectrum of colors merge with a rising ring of dust. Baffled, she protected her eyes from the sight with her arms.

When silence ruled once more, she dared to look. For a second time, she felt her jaw drop.

She had seen him on the news. Erik had described him to her multiple times and Jane even showed her photos. She recognized him immediately. How could she not? Thor, son of Odin, was standing in front of her now, a glory of red and silver armor and towering strength. He was gazing past her shoulder to where giant stood with his two companions. In the supposed legendary god's hand was an intimidating hammer, which he raised as he tensed his body for confrontation, a warrior ready for bloodshed. Elizabeth groaned internally.

"Oh, fuck me…"

She was embarrassed to say everything went black after that.

* * *

Culver University is the University in the Marvel universe where Bruce Banner conducted his experiments and eventually turned into the Hulk and where Selvig studied. Willowdale is the fictional city it is placed in.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I mean wow! Thanks everyone! So many reviews, favs, and follows for a first chapter! I'm happy so many have given this story a chance, and it spurred me to release the next chapter earlier than planned.

This chapter is a bit slower in pace than the last one, but if you _pay attention_ (hint, hint) there is a bit of a twist at the end.

Special thanks to:** adelphe24, E73NA, Hannah, Guest (April 25th) KieraPSI, CandleJack, and Guest (April 26th).**

I'll mention that it is unnecessary for me to say that I do not own The Avengers or its characters, only my OCs and the plot so please to not sue this poor college student.

* * *

In a small apartment in downtown Willowdale, Elizabeth sat at her kitchen table, angrily eating a bowl of oatmeal. She was dressed in a tank top and jeans, her light blonde hair tied back in a lazy bun, her usual outfit for the weekend. Normally, she was ecstatic for any time off, using it for private research or catch up on her favorite crime shows, her usual rule to relax and accomplish very little during her two days off to better recharge after the week. This weekend was the exception that broke that rule.

On her right forearm was a freshly wrapped white bandage, the skin below it itching in its effort to heal. She didn't mind that it was quickly forming into a scar, she had a collection of those and one more was no never mind. But she pointedly tired not looking or thinking about it, to lock the memories of the past few days away and just eat. But of course when you tell yourself not to focus on something, it often turns out to be the only thing you can.

Frustrated, she pushed her now cold breakfast away. Standing up she grabbed her coffee and made her way into her living room. It, like the rest of the apartment, was an eccentric mess of memorabilia and discount furniture. The rental space was quite small, and was decorated by her own eclectically inclined eye and with a haphazard hand. Elizabeth fancied herself a collector like many other archaeologists, though many others would think the term pack rat more appropriate, and kept many items of historic value from first edition books to broken bits of pottery. Her personal favorite was a replicated Viking spear she used to pry open her window whenever it got stuck and an open bangle bracelet from the eighth century made of bronze she found on her second excavation. Perhaps all this made her more of a sentimental person than she cared to admit to herself, but now was not the time for self-reflection.

On the coffee table before her couch was an open suit case stuffed with clothes and a few books she thought necessary for the trip ahead of her.

Trip? No. This was no vacation she was going on, no excavation. This was an unwelcomed shift in her career, one which made her grind her teeth in frustration. She wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, but knew better. An organization like SHIELD could change her life if they wanted to with no repercussions or consequences on their end, and she was merely a means to an end in their opinion. She had no say over her life now that she signed that dotted line they presented to her.

Shaking her head, Elizabeth went back to packing, trying to think only on what was necessary and what was wanted. There was so much left to do, though SHIELD had done their share in pausing the life she had made for herself. Nothing would be right anymore, never quite in focus the way it had been, like someone had tilted the picture frame to her life. Thank god she was at least being paid for it.

* * *

_…One Week Earlier…_

* * *

When she had woken up, Elizabeth had no idea of where she was or what had happened. It was a very naked feeling to have, especially when she saw herself strapped to tubes and wires like someone's demented experiment. After a mild panic that made her realize her new gained pains, Selvig with a doctor and several nurses came to her and explained what had happened after they were able to calm her down.

Turned out, she had not been hallucinating, and that she was correct in labeling the creatures that landed as giants. In fact, they were frost giants of the realm Jotunheim, the very stuff of the legends she had always been fascinated in since childhood. Furthermore, Thor had indeed been there. The supposed god had told Selvig that he had been with great watcher Heimdall just as the giants landed, and came to earth as soon as he saw to stop the attack, not knowing that he would find his old friend there as well. When Thor saw the giants he tried to protect them but one apparently leaped to attack while Elizabeth was still standing before him, astounded at his being there. It knocked her aside to get to the Asgardian. She had hit her head on a nearby rock, received a bad gash down the length of her arm and as well as an unconsciousness that lasted for two days.

Elizabeth was unsure what she felt more upset about, that her reality had been forced to reckon with beings that she had so longed believed to be myth, or that she missed out on possibly the greatest chance of a life time to meet such fictitious beings. Perhaps more the latter than anything else, as she had quite gracefully accepted the notion of aliens existing when Erik told her of his first meeting with Thor, knowing it would be of the utmost interest to her. It was always easier to accept the miraculous from a close friend, but the news stories that abounded gave truth to every shocking thing he told her.

With the data supplied by Jane that she had secretly managed to save from SHIELD, Elizabeth was ecstatically convinced and began forming her own theories in light of this amazing development and the following when New York was attacked by another so called myth. While jealous of her colleagues' involvement to a degree, she never dreamed she would meet any of the Asgardians herself. And in a way was quite content not too, seeing as how the experiences left Erik mentally unstable and Jane having one of the farthest long distance relationship in history.

Despite the beliefs she had, it was in fact Thor who _flew_ her and Selvig to the nearest hospital for them to be treated. Again, as astounding and somewhat unbelievable that was to her that she had been carried to safety by Thor Odinson, Elizabeth just hoped she didn't drool on him while unconscious. He was gone before she had a chance to wake up however, and was left to her peace. A day after waking however, she did have an unexpected visitor outside of Selvig and the attending physician. An agent of SHIELD had come to investigate the incident, needing a statement from her and Selvig.

How they had already heard of the incident surprised her, but then again it wasn't everyday giant blue men landed on Earth, and tongues do tend to wag. Given her less than admiring opinion on the organization coupled with her multiple aches and pains, she was hardly cooperative. Selvig, used to dealing with the stiff agents, took charge of answering most of the man's questions, to which he earned Elizabeth's unending gratitude. She should have taken it as a warning when the agent had muttered 'we'll be seeing you around' before he left to report to his superiors, after of course getting her to sign an agreement to keep quiet all she and Erik had seen.

After two more days in the hospital, she was cleared for travel, and hoped to put the incident behind her with no further ado when she went to work the next day after returning home. Never had hoped proved more futile.

"Despite the barbarity we often view them with, the Viking's produced rich, diversified art forms and crafts during their age. A good blacksmith or poet would be equally acknowledged. Such craftsmen were often buried with their tools; they were important symbols of his status in death as well as in life. And for this we are grateful, for the Viking craftsmen, carvers, painters and poets were responsible for most of our current knowledge about the Vikings." Elizabeth glanced up from her notes to the clock by the door of the classroom. Her class had about five minutes left, and while she usually took the full lecture time her tired body demanded to let them out early. Bringing her eyes back onto her notes, she finished.

"Keep this in mind as you apply this revering of arts to your perspective on warrior cultures. I think we will end here for now until Wednesday, and please read chapters seven and eight." At her dismissal, there was a crescendo of chairs being pushed back as the students all prepared to leave. Elizabeth refused to look at them, instead concentrating to the back of the class. It was how her nature dealt with lecturing, by pretending she was only speaking out loud and avoid looking at her students. They didn't seem to mind her odd teaching style. Most were just freshmen fulfilling their history requirement and had little passion for the subject, something which irked her repeatedly.

A few students came up to her and asked questions, and as the classroom had mostly emptied itself she answered them with ease. Today she couldn't be bothered to dress up in her usual professionalism and traded for a pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater that covered her thickly bandaged arm that still ached horribly every time she even thought about moving it. All she could think about though was her great regret that she even came in and had not accepted the medical leave she was granted. But she couldn't remain at home for a week with nothing to do but think as that would hardly do her health any good.

"No, that will not be on the test, but the significance of the Yggdrasil myth will be. Any further questions, you can come see me in my office after four." She told the last student. He nodded and left, leaving Elizabeth to remain by herself in the classroom as she packed her notes back into her satchel. Or at least she thought.

"Doctor, a word?"

Looking towards the open door, she found a man leaning against its frame. He was average in height with stern features and a receded line of brown hair. At first she thought him a fellow staff member, but she was taken aback when she met a pair of dark sunglasses covering his eyes. He was in professional attire, but Elizabeth realized he dressed nothing like a teacher, his hands resting in the pockets of a suit jacket no professor could ever afford. Elizabeth's stare became more scrutinizing as she wondered what he wanted from her, but quickly went back to packing up.

"Only if you make it quick. I have a meeting in ten minutes."

Despite the time constraint, the man felt no pressure to get to his point as he shut the door behind him to then come over to where she stood. When he spoke his voice was filled with a kind of superior authority that instantly brought Elizabeth to dislike him.

"I got to admit, you are not what I expected. Twenty-three and a doctor already. Impressive by the way, even if it is just archaeology."

Elizabeth briefly glanced back up at the man to send him an unamused glare. Being as young as she was, she looked almost the same age as her students, a fact her less than likable colleagues reminded and teased her about. She though had worked hard to get where she was at, harder than most ever had to, and refused to take any slight against her credentials. Perhaps she was excessively sensitive in that area, but Elizabeth's abrasive tone could not be held back.

"I also have doctorates in mythological studies and ancient languages. Is this an interview Mr.…?"

"Coulson, and yes actually, it is." The man tried to grin politely at her, and Elizabeth felt her eyebrows lift in surprise. She heard that name before, she was sure of it. And for some reason, it resonated with trouble. With no need to stay in the classroom, she slid her satchel over her shoulder, thinking that if she left now she just might have time to grab some coffee before her meeting.

"Then I must ask you to schedule an appointment for later then." She explained as she began to march past him, stopped when he side stepped in order to block her way.

"I'm afraid we have no time for that, doctor. I was rather hoping to talk to you right now." His obvious disciplinary personality was marked by his tone, and Elizabeth resisted scowling. Not even two minutes of conversation and she was already annoyed with the man, perhaps the quickest record anyone had with her to date. Still, his mannerisms as well as dress, and above all his name, seemed quite familiar to her. The obviousness of it all struck her somewhat dumbly as she then recognized she had heard, and recently seen, this formula of man before.

"Wait, Coulson? You work for SHIELD." She stated, having no need to ask for calcification. The agent brightened at her recognizing him, and gave her the smallest hint of a smile.

"Dr. Selvig told you about me?"

"The sunglasses kind of gave you away." She confessed with a pointed look, to which the agent then removed the shades, tucking them into his jacket pocket before clearing his throat.

"Right, well, the director was hoping to talk to you about the incident that happened last week."

At this, any and all interest Elizabeth had for the famed agent being at her university was replaced with her annoyance from before.

"I told one of your agents everything I knew already. I don't see what other information I can offer. Selvig and I went to Iceland, his little machine started making noises, and the next thing I knew I was knocked on my back by a big, blueberry giant and the Son of Odin. End of story." She made to move past Coulson again, and this time he didn't stop her, though that hardly kept him from running his mouth again.

"Does the name Surtshellir sound familiar?" Just as her hand rested on the door handle, Elizabeth was made frozen by the agent's words. Her damnable curiosity inclined her to look back towards the man, who was meeting her glare with a falsely innocent air. She did not move away from the door, but she resigned herself to spare a few more minutes at the mentioning of the cave she had known of for years.

"Of course."

Realizing he had her fickle attention, Agent Coulson finally made it his prerogative to get to the point, and spoke as he paced around the classroom.

"Well, that seemed to be the giants' destination when they landed. Thor stopped them before they reached it of course, but it seems to us that they will be making to try to reach it again." Elizabeth's features narrowed in suspicion. Obviously, something else was wanted from her if he bothered to mention Surtshellir, and her distrust seeped into her voice as she spoke.

"And you are telling me this because…?"

"Because your dissertation was on that cave. You are the sole expert on its unique history." Agent Coulson explained simply, Elizabeth frowning as she turned to fully face him.

"If you've read my dissertation, then you already know as much as I do about it." Though able to mask most of her expressions, lying did not come as naturally to Elizabeth, and so her tone wavered somewhat under the pressure of it. Coulson made his way back over to her slowly, stopping several feet in front of the impatient doctor. By now she would be late to her meeting, but she could not leave this conversation without making it clear to the agent she had nothing further to offer his organization, and further more wanted nothing to do with it.

"Not true. You've been doing some joint research with Selvig and some others for a while now, haven't you? Radiocarbon dating, three excavations in the past year alone. You know something else is happening in that little cave of yours." The agent's talents for spelling out the research she had worked hard to keep secret even from her superiors disturbed Elizabeth greatly. She had her reasons to keep that field of interest to her quiet, namely that the university would not support such wildly theorized research, but also because what it pertained to was of the highest of personal importance to Elizabeth. To have her private knowledge used against her was more than unsettling, it was damn near repellant. She talentedly hid her discomfort with further derision.

"And you want me to what, debrief SHIELD on it? Come to my next class then, I planned on it be the subject for my next lecture anyway."

Coulson shook his head in what Elizabeth presumed was amusement.

"Close, but no cigar. The director wants you to continue your research with Selvig, but in the safety of SHIELD's protection. Your knowledge of the area and its history, as well as your background in Norse mythology could prove to be quite…useful."

The bomb shell the agent dropped on Elizabeth left her stunned into a dazed quiet. Often times she had nothing to say in many situations, but this one left her unable to say anything, completely aghast by what the agent had enlightened her with. Coulson though seemed to still have plenty to talk about, and continued, whether not noticing or not caring that her jaw was slack in astonishment.

"In other words Dr. Jonsson, SHIELD would like to extend an invitation for you to become a part of a research team we're gathering to look into this incident. You'd be paid generously for your time, and a suitable cover story will be given to your boss and family. And when you are finished, you'll get your job back, no problem. And hey, you're already aware of the existence of other worldly beings, what with being colleagues with Selvig and last week's incident, so bonus, cause that cuts debriefing time by half." He ended with a smirk. Perhaps he thought that last line would convince her to leap up and demand to sign on, perhaps he was teasing. Either way, Elizabeth was far, far, far removed from amused if her shocked appearance was any tell.

Silence paraded around the two of them for quite some time. The agent patiently waited for her response, watching her expression regain its cold composure as her glare once again became stern. He could tell without her following answer just what her opinion on the matter was, and seemed hardly surprised when she told him.

"No."

"No?"

"No." She repeated firmly. Coulson once again tried his polite smile.

"Perhaps you need some time to reconsider."

"Nope." Was her final word before Elizabeth turned around and walked out of the classroom. Her boots stormed down the hall way in an anger that she had not felt in a long time, curses breathed under in a less than subtle tone. Half of her was surprised that the agent did not follow after her as she skipped her meeting and drove home to fume, but now in hindsight, she knew he had a perfectly good reason not to. Namely, because he didn't have to.

* * *

_…Present…_

* * *

Now finished with her coffee, Elizabeth concentrated herself her packing once again. Small bursts of frustration and anger caused her to roughly stuff her armory of jeans and cardigans into one suitcase. If she was going to be trapped at some damn top secret base, she was going to at least be comfortable. After a while she went back to rolling up various maps from her desk, treating the laminated documents with more delicacy than she thought herself capable of for the moment.

Most of her luggage consisted of articles and needed files, though Agent Coulson had assured her they already had copies of anything she would need. To that she flatly refused, as she would use her own materials or nothing at all. Besides, her notes were etched into every margin of her papers, and that after all was what they really wanted from her. Sure, it would inconvenience whatever team of agents Coulson would send to pick her up, but Elizabeth hardly minded.

The pressure which SHIELD had placed on her for the past several days had been insufferable, and very nearly cost Elizabeth her job. Frequent calls from Coulson wore her down and did her already wavering health no good. Selvig had already agreed to do their bidding, they wanting him for their so called 'research team' and he too tired to talk her into taking the position. His argument was that it would be beneficial to her career to have been of help to SHIELD, even if she could tell no one, and it would certainly give her access to things left untouchable to most. Top secret government organizations after all do have their perks. Elizabeth though knew his efforts to be of more selfish means, namely that he wanted her with him, perhaps as an asset to the research or because he also did not wish to be left alone again with the people who tossed him aside once his sanity was in question. If the latter was the case, she wished she had the wherewithal to convince him that he did not need to join up with them, not after all he had already done for them. But then again, if they were able to get to her even for all her protests…

On the third day after her meeting with Coulson, her dean came storming into her office, damn near foaming. He yelled at her for a time about something she didn't understand until he finally calmed down enough to speak without spitting. It seemed the Smithsonian called him, telling him that his Dr. Jonsson had refused a momentary position with a research coalition of theirs on Nordic cultures. To have the university's name mentioned beside such a project would bring good press and funding to the school the dean was told, and at her supposed refusal of it he was absolutely furious. Elizabeth saw immediately that SHIELD was behind this, and tried to give some sort of explanation to her employer. He though would not hear of it, and ordered that she take the position…or be fired.

That was the last straw. If she wanted to keep her job, she would have to do what SHIELD wanted her to. All she had ever worked for, all of her efforts for half of her life, would be taken away. She loved her job, perhaps a bit too much in retrospect, but to no longer do what she loved was too horrible a prospect. Five minutes after the dean left her office, she redialed Coulson, and told him that, having been given no choice, she would comply.

The memory of that fateful call fueled Elizabeth's anger, and she slammed her suitcase shut with more force than necessary. Damn SHIELD, damn giants, damn Thor. Damn everything, but especially Coulson and that director of his! She believed his name was Fury, but she hadn't been paying too much attention to what the Agent had bothered to tell her outside of what would happen to her life in her absence.

She would be shipped off, along with Selvig and who else they would be needing, to some secret base out in the middle of nowhere which also happened to be, surprise, a secret. All that made for a rather frustrating time when deciding what to pack, but even more frustrating was that while she would be playing lackey to SHIELD, her parents would be bragging to their friends over her fictional position at the Smithsonian and Thomson of all people would be filling in for her at work.

_Thomson_, who shooed her out of her office to set up a tank for his tropical fish. The giant git.

Having lost the energy to fuel her anger, Elizabeth slumped down on her couch in a poorly hid pout. She was by now packed up, but convinced herself she had room to take along a few other things. One item in particular she could not bring herself to part with was her grandmother's Dala horse, whose faded paint felt soothing to Elizabeth as she ran her fingers over it lovingly. She decided it along with several other personal keepsakes would come with her to help fool herself with the possibility of making her new abode, wherever or whatever it would be, more comfortable. Despite all evidence Elizabeth refused to admit her sentimental, or perhaps fixated, nature. She had other things to worry about.

Like her plants, who was going to water them? Should she pack her own bed sheets or where those provided? Would they have refills for her medications at the location? Where the hell was she going anyway? Probably something in the mountains of Tibet. God, what if the place they were sending her was really underground, or in that damned Helicarrier Selvig told her about? She would never live through the panic attacks. Well, technically no one had ever died from a panic attack, or so her psychiatrist had told her, but it would be just her luck if she was the first. And what if, even after this little project of theirs, SHIELD wouldn't let her go? No, why would they want to keep her? So many paranoid, screaming thoughts tore through Elizabeth's mind that she hardly realized that she had begun to pace.

At the sound of her doorbell, Elizabeth jumped up in surprise. Her anxiousness was swallowed as she forced herself to think straight. So soon? She had thought she had another hour till they came. Well, good thing she was dressed and packed now. Not that Elizabeth wouldn't have loved to make them all late, but it was perhaps best not to keep anyone with a gun waiting long.

Quickly putting her grandmother's toy horse into the last open suitcase which she then closed up, Elizabeth forced herself to walk to the door.

"Yeah?" She asked perhaps more timidly than she wanted too.

Despite her expectations only one person, a man, was on the other side of her door. She was also somewhat surprised to see he was in fact not wearing sunglasses which allowed her to see his eyes. They were perhaps the greenest things in all of creation she quickly decided. The shade of fresh poison. Elizabeth found herself openly staring into the color before remembering there was a whole person standing in front of her, and continued her scrutiny. Of course, the man was wearing a simple suit of black and white and his tall, though lean, stature filled it with an ease that intimidated. With slicked black hair and a thin lipped smile, the man made a rather handsome image that under other circumstances, Elizabeth would have been happy to have been greeted with.

"Miss Jonsson?" He asked with an accent she could not place, though it made her name sound more charming than it usually was. However, her positive assessment of the man vanished as she pointedly ignored the hand he offered her to shake to frown up at him.

"No." The man gave her a look of confusion that troubled his brows as she watched his hand lower back to his side, untouched. She went on, unabashedly fascinated with his long fingers which seemed to clench in mild annoyance with what she said next, "I am _Dr_. Jonsson. Are you the minion from SHIELD?"

"I am Agent Spears and–"

"I'm all packed. You can take my bags down. Wipe your feet first." Elizabeth interrupted before turning back into her apartment, not caring for his introduction as she left him at the door. It was her habit to keep unpleasant conversations as short as possible, pushing her normally abrupt ways into rudeness whenever anxious. And despite her attempts to hide it, she was anxious. Very.

"...very well." The agent finally replied before following her in, hesitantly doing as she asked. Elizabeth went over to her coffee table, grabbing her jacket and scarf. It was only a mild spring day, but she got cold on planes. Sliding her one carryon over her shoulder, she went back to her door way with keys in hand to step into her unlaced boots. She turned for one last look at her apartment but was surprised to see the agent already standing behind her, all three of her heavy suitcases in his grasp as if they were weightless.

"Are you ready then Dr. Jonsson?" He asked her with that still charming voice, though he was not looking at her. Instead he was glancing over her untidy apartment in something akin to fascination and mild disgust. She supposed it was a bit of a mess as she too looked back at the place she was leaving behind.

"No." Was her honest answer before she looked back down at the threshold that marked the end of her home. On a normal day it was hard enough carrying herself over it, but today of all days, it was nigh impossible. It marked the end of her refuge, the one environment she felt safe in. To leave this place behind was to leave all her comforts and give her insecurities free reign.

She had battled with agoraphobia for a long time now, from the extreme to the mild, but never had it been more difficult to mask her worries than in this moment. Knowing the agent was watching her, probably waiting for her to move out of the way, Elizabeth took a steadying breath, and stepped out…

In moments the agent had the standard black car packed with her things, and opened the side door for Elizabeth. She slid herself down after a muttered 'Thanks' and immediately sat down in the furthest seat before putting on the safety belt. The agent surprised her by following in after her rather than sitting up front with his fellow SHIELD lackey, and subtly tried to shift more space between herself and him when he sat down next to her. She chided herself for her uneasiness, but if the agent noticed her fidgeting, he didn't show it as the car started.

"Unfortunately we will not be stopping to pick up Dr. Selvig before we fly you out to base. He has some business that will last till tomorrow morning, but he will be with us in the evening. We will let you both get settled first before you met the other members of the research team to get started. I am also sorry to inform that Director Fury won't be joining us, as he has some pressing matters in Bolivia to take care of. But I can answer any questions you have."

He paused, waiting for a reply, which she denied him by glancing out the window. She heard this speech before from Coulson and was prepared to tune all of it out. If there was one thing Elizabeth had already learned of SHIELD, it's that they sure liked to repeat orders. Clearing his throat, in annoyance it seemed to Elizabeth, the agent pressed on.

"In a few days, if he will be so kind to grace us with his presence, you and Dr. Selvig will get to interview Thor about the incident. He's already given a statement, but you both may have some different questions you will want to put to him." Elizabeth's attention was pulled by the sour note in the man's voice at the mentioning of the mythical god brought to life, she imagining a bit of bitterness in it. It didn't surprise her much though, many were uneasy at the existence of extraterrestrial life, including her. But her academic, as well as personal, curiosity brought a small, crooked grin to a corner of her mouth, the first in a week.

"Thor? That could be…interesting." She saw the agent try on the same polite smile Coulson liked to wear, but it seemed to take a lot more effort than it should have on his part, coming out a bit mockingly. For some reason the expression made her become uncomfortable all over again, and found herself filling in the silence, "Will other members of the Avengers be there? Stark, Banner perhaps?"

"Banner is part of the research team, of course. It was his knowledge in radiation that clued us in on the incident. As for Stark, while we will be using some of his equipment, this really is not his area of expertise. The others are away on various missions and will not be needed quite yet."

"Ah." She said with more relief than she wanted to share. The idea of meeting a green giant was not appealing to her in the least, and the prospect of meeting a famous billionaire was even worse. But Selvig had nothing but compliments towards Banner, so perhaps it would not be so terrible. Her attention was pulled back by the agent onto an envelope he held out to her.

"Here's your SHIELD identification and informational packet, which you may read on the plane. There will be further security protocols you will have to go through once on base for your own protection." Elizabeth frowned at that last word, knowing it was a lie. But the agent continued to hold the envelope expectantly before her, which she hesitantly took. Opening it she was first greeted by an id badge with her picture on it. It felt like the final nail in the coffin to see her stupidly smiling face placed next to the words Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Elizabeth swallowed as she shoved the plastic card back into the envelope before closing it, setting it on her lap to ignore until later.

"Before we reach our destination, is there anything else you will be requiring Dr. Jonsson?" Asked the agent as he folded his long legs, leaning back in his ease. Elizabeth turned away from him to put her forehead against the cool glass of the window beside her, shutting her eyes away from the disgustingly cheerful afternoon.

"My books from the office have been already been shipped?" She asked, not realizing how tired she sounded until now.

"Of course."

"Then nothing."

* * *

Thanks for reading, and if any of you have questions, please feel free to ask them. Until next time darlings!


	3. Chapter 3

Onward to chapter three, how exciting! This chapter doesn't have much action, but a lot of first meetings happen with poor Elizabeth trying to survive working for SHIELD. Also, there's a bit of exposition for the story here as well, but it's important, so, onwards.

I would like to thank Gracie Lacy, Guest, J-senpai for reviewing and especially adelphe24 for being a wonderful person. Thanks also for the new favs and follows, I hope to continue to make this story enjoyable for all of you.

* * *

Elizabeth walked out from the utilitarian bathroom of her new quarters, steam following after her from her surprisingly delightful shower. Her long hair soaked the towel she had wrapped around herself, leaving behind a trail of water behind her as she desperately began looking for her hair dryer. She had less than a half an hour to finish getting ready and she was nowhere near unpacked. Clothes were strewn about everywhere, books and maps weighing down the inadequate shelf space she was offered and covering her new desk. It almost made her new accommodations felt like home, down to the useless knick-knacks she kept in inconvenient places. But just like home it meant that she could never find anything when she needed it.

The blindingly white walls though kept her from being ignorant of where she really was, and she silently cursed the plainness of it all. Everything here was cold like a mausoleum and as sterile like a hospital, neither a place she would willingly find herself in. The space assigned to her was acceptable enough, and she was given her own private bathroom, something apparently for the privileged here at SHIELD.

Her gratitude could not be mustered significantly however. Everyone and thing worked like a well-oiled machine here that it was sometimes hard for her to tell one agent apart from the next. Nothing outside of the prospect that this one day would all be over was welcoming, resigning Elizabeth to a miserable time before her purpose here had yet to begin.

Finally, she spotted the cord to her beloved hair dryer, and vehemently grabbed it and the underwear it was hiding under before tucking back into the bathroom. If she hurried she just might be able to make herself appear as an acceptable human being before the meeting began.

As promised, the day after Elizabeth showed up on the SHIELD base Selvig arrived, and with him the others of the supposed research team. Elizabeth had no chance to see her friend however and elected to ignore unpacking to instead sit on the stiff mattress of her new bed, thinking.

Now that she was finally here her task at SHIELD became real. And though she had come here without choice, she would be demand if she didn't give the job her all. Her obsessive work ethic would not allow for it. Besides, it gave her something to obsessively concentrate on other than the fact that she was now hundreds of miles away from home. She stayed up all night gathering up whatever information would be useful for the next day's debriefing, and by morning had complied what she thought was the absolute essentials.

Just as she finished slipping into a pair of heels, deciding it was best to make a good first impression, Elizabeth heard a knock at her door. As she expected, her escort was not a second late, and after making certain her dress was buttoned all the way up she pressed the release that allowed the electrically powered door to slide open.

"Dr. Jonsson, are you ready?" Greeted Coulson from the other side, he having promised her yesterday to lead her to the lab where the meeting was to take place. While she had hoped he would have broken that promise, he seemed the kind of man who annoyingly kept his word.

"Hm." Was her noncommittal answer. She quickly noticed that behind him were two agents. One she recognized as the man who picked her up from her apartment, though she still hadn't bothered to learn his name, and another she hadn't met before. Honestly, one agent looked like any other to her at this point. Leaving them at the door, she went back inside to grab several charts, folders, and books, wanting to use them as references for the meeting.

"Need a hand?" Coulson offered, though he didn't make any movements toward her. Elizabeth shook her head as she left her room, the door hissing closed behind her. He shrugged as he turned away to walk away.

All four then began their trek down the hall way. It seemed to Elizabeth all this place was made up of was hallways, and frequently wondered if anyone had gotten lost in the maze of them and starved to death. If not, she would certainly be the first, seeing has how she had little to no sense of direction. While her morbid train of thought distracted her, Coulson felt the need to fill the silence that followed after all of them like some sort of love sick puppy.

"How are you finding SHIELD so far?"

"Big." Elizabeth said after a moment, not thinking her more detailed opinions would be welcomed. Coulson almost smiled.

"Right, well, in no time at all you'll be feeling at home here. It's not much, but it's got all the perks. Even put in a swimming pool next to the gym." That somehow did not surprise her, but she nodded for politeness's sake. Of course, that made a question that burned to be asked.

"With a space as big as this, I do not see the reason why I must confine myself to the lab all day. I'll be of no use there." The thought of spending hours on end watching Selvig plot data was, not only, an incredibly boring prospect, but one in which she did not see how she would be useful outside of getting in the way. The ID badge she had been given had very limited access, mainly for the gym Coulson was just bragging about, her room, the cafeteria and a few labs. Coulson though already had an answer prepared for her.

"You will when it comes to your geographic and historic knowledge of the area we're surveying."

Under her breath, Elizabeth huffed, really having hoped she could just spend her sentence here in her room. The agent she recognized before was walking beside her and looked down when she made that small noise, surprising her once again with the green of his eyes.

"But you're right. I'll update your security pass to allow you into the archives. If you ever need anything, a map or a dusty historic something, I suggest you start there." Continued Coulson, allowing Elizabeth to turn away from the strange agent to look towards him.

"Does SHIELD have that detailed of an interest in Iceland?"

"Now we do."

The party had come to the end of the hallway marked by the silver doors of an elevator. They opened seconds after Coulson pressed for it and he in the agents went inside. Elizabeth hung back for a moment, hesitating. She sighed when Coulson looked at her and forced herself to follow. Immediately her heart picked up in tempo and she licked her lips nervously. This was not the time or place to have a break down, though she felt better in control than usual. She couldn't grab a hold of the bar for support thanks to all the items she was carrying, and settled for taking a few steps back from the others. Her efforts to create more space did not go unnoticed however.

"You okay?" Asked Coulson.

"F-fine."

At her stuttered answer the agent smiled, though whether it was in sympathy or in fascination Elizabeth was not right enough in mind to distinct.

"You know, I've read about agoraphobia. I didn't realize it included a fear of elevators. Something about being surrounded by other people and few escape routes, right?" Elizabeth didn't answer, instead choosing to glower at him as her grip on her documents grew tighter. He mentioned that he read up on her, but she didn't know his knowledge of her personal life was that detailed. He was correct, it was all a matter of what her mind determined were safe zones or traps. That did not mean however that she appreciated when her phobia was pointed out, especially in public. It made the panicked feeling a thousand times worse whenever people starred at her, knowing what was wrong with her. The green eyed agent in particular was giving her a strange look, which she did her best to avoid. When the elevator finally stopped and they left its confines, Coulson continued to use that somewhat polite smile.

"Next time we'll just take the stairs."

"If that would make you feel more comfortable." She answered as she regained herself. Special treatment was unnecessary and would only make matters more inconvenient for her to be singled out. The high ranking agent chuckled before moving on to more pressing matters.

"We have a surprise for you. Turns out Thor came in earlier than expected. You'll be getting to meet him now."

"Oh." Elizabeth exclaimed, "What's he like? The god of thunder?"

"Eh, loud. Big. Friendly."

"Hm." At that description Elizabeth became a bit nervous. Well, she was beforehand at the prospect of meeting the Asgardian, but now she wondered if she had prepared for this meeting enough. It was one thing discussing Norse myths with physicists, another with the being they had been based on. Soon enough they descended down a hallway with glass windows on each side, allowing Elizabeth to look inside what appeared to be an endless abundance of different laboratories. In each were many white robed workers peering over test tubes or whirling machines. She frowned. This was not her environment, this was foreign to her archeologist mindset.

"Agent Spears, Agent Bennett, wait out here." Ordered Agent Coulson when they stopped before what looked like the largest of all the labs. The two agents nodded in obedience as Coulson then swiped his security card, commanding the sealed doors to open.

It was like the other labs they had walked passed. Simple and clean with a stale smell of plastic. Mostly there were computers and interfacing graphic screens that hung suspended on the walls. Countertops with various machines that were unfamiliar to Elizabeth crowded everywhere, a few steel stools resting at a few of them. In the middle was the only cleared space, a table where Selvig and two very recognizable faces where standing around.

"Son of Coul! Well met!" Boomed what had to be Thor. Elizabeth recognized him from their very brief encounter from before, and was very aware of the doors behind her closing as he strode towards her and Agent Coulson. He was not wearing his armor like last time but a pair of jeans, crew neck shirt and a simple jacket, his hammer hanging from his hip. It was rather strange to see, but Elizabeth's thoughts on the Asgardian's fashion choices were interrupted as he spoke again in his powerfully resonant voice.

"How have you faired since last we met? I am gladdened you have healed from your wounds. We must celebrate sometime with the others for your plentiful luck on the battlefield." Thor clapped the shoulder of the agent, who winched at the force but somehow managed to keep up a friendly smile.

"Thor, good to see you. Hear you will be sticking around for a while?"

"Yes," Nodded the demigod in seriousness, "I have come to aid you against the giants. I will hold them at bay until we can discover what it is that they want. But where is Son of Jons? I have been eager to meet him since Selvig spoke of his exploits!"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow while Coulson cleared his throat before nodding in her direction. Thor followed the gesture and looked at her blank expression in confusion for a minute as Selvig chuckled behind him.

"Oh, pardon me, milady. I was mistaken." He said as he quickly recovered himself. Stepping towards her, he displayed all his charm. Before she could create space he gently grabbed her right hand. She was never quite comfortable being touched and was horrified at the thought that he was about to kiss it, but instead he bowed his forehead down to the back of her hand in a chivalrous fashion.

"Pleasantly though, I assure you." He finished with an attractive smile. For the first time Elizabeth shared Jane's conclusion that he was without a doubt the handsomest god she had ever met. It left her a little stuck for words, so she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Thor. I remember you being…taller." She heard Selvig laugh again before she realized what she had said, and wanted to apologize for the look of surprise the Asgardian gave her as he lowered her hand, "Sorry. I tend to speak my mind or not at all. Um, well met and what have you."

At her awkwardly attempted smile Thor nodded, regaining his charming composure as he placed another hand on hers reassuringly. "An honorable trait to be admired milady. And no need to apologize, I hear it does the heart good to be humbled every once in a while."

Elizabeth could not help thinking that he was every bit like a knight brought to life. Any minute now she expected him to start slaying dragons. But her fascination was more scholarly than personal for this man, however admittedly handsome he was, and so her attentions readily shifted towards Selvig.

"Little Lizzie, how you doing?" He smiled happily and she returned the expression just as genuinely. They shared a very brief hug before she answered.

"Better than you. How's the ankle?" She asked as she glanced at the crutch he leaned against. While her injuries had been more serious, Selvig did sustain a twisted ankle while running away from the giants which still could not accept his full weight.

"Functioning, though I just might have to give up dancing lessons." The older man teased, making Elizabeth give him a small smirk at his poor attempt at a joke. Turning away from her Selvig nodded towards the unruly brown haired man standing next to him.

"Meet Dr. Bruce Banner."

Looking towards him, Elizabeth quickly took in his purple button down and khaki pants before meeting his polite smile. It looked forced on his part, though more due to exhaustion than dislike she observed. He didn't offer his hand to shake for which she was grateful.

"Pleasure."

"Now, how about we get this show on the road, hm?" Spoke Coulson as he clapped his hands together, "Banner, what've you got? And just a summary, please."

All present in the room gathered around the cleared table as Dr. Banner set down an interactive screen, tapping it to reveal a graph of some kind which Elizabeth had no hope of knowing what it meant. She stood by Selvig to watch his reactions to get some kind of reading into how significant it was.

"All signs of radiation in that area have mellowed out, almost dead. The traces Selvig had picked up on were useful though in determining what kind of energy the giants had used to get here."

"Was it the Tesseract?" Coulson asked but Dr. Banner shook his head in uncertainty.

"Maybe, but so far it hasn't proven to be an exact match. Regardless, this energy is quite similar. But given the different wavelength readings, this type of energy is not unlimited like the Tesseract's was. It needs to charge up again before they will get to use it again."

"Any way to predict when?"

Banner was silent for a moment while he thought. Elizabeth could swear she saw a multitude of calculations flash before his brown eyes.

"Give it some time, and we can give you the exact minute."

"Good. Thor? Can you explain to our doctors what they are dealing with?"

At his name Thor straightened as all attention turned to him. With an air of significance he placed his hands on the table. "Frost Giants are ruthless, blood thirsty creatures. They are strong, with the powers of ice at their command. One touch from them can freeze flesh off faster than fire. Countless battles have been waged with them between my father and Laufey before he was killed, and they have proved time and time again to be a ruthless and deadly enemy. They are not mindless, but the ability to travel between worlds by their own means is not within their grasp. I fear some greater power is helping them, but what they want with Midgard is beyond my reckoning. They will not stop until they find it though, they are fiends but persistent when they-"

"And that's where Dr. Jonsson comes in." Coulson cut, impatient to get through this to report all to the director.

"Oh, right." Setting down the multitude of folded maps and manila folders she had, Elizabeth spread them out. She felt pressured to hurry and find what she needed, but it took her a minute to make sense of the mess.

"The Surtshellir Cave, the believed target of the Jotnar, is the longest in Iceland, named after the fire giant Surtr," Pointing to a large photographed copy of an ancient scroll that depicted the inside of the cave, Elizabeth guided everyone's eyes to the most notable figure portrayed, a gigantic man with flames surrounding his body, "who was said to have created it, and possibly lived in it for some time after a confrontation with Odin around the time when humans stopped worshiping the Gods of Asgard."

At this she looked at Thor who nodded thoughtfully as he looked over the picture. Since he didn't outright disagree she felt assured that she had her facts straight and continued on more confidently. "For centuries it has been presumed to be haunted, and only was used by thieves and outcasts for shelter."

"Haunted?" Asked Selvig as he looked up from the picture to give her a curious look. Elizabeth nodded.

"Screams and terrible sounds have been recorded to have come from that cave since its discovery. The locals around the area also have reported seeing flashes of something described as 'fljótandi eldingar' or 'liquid lightning' come from the entrance, and such sightings date back through the centuries. It is said that the souls of the dead and damned are trapped there, creating a veritable gateway to the fires of Hel itself. So, I suggest until we find out what we're dealing with that you don't' send any agents in, unless you want their souls stolen." Again she pleasantly pointed to the picture, this time to inside the drawn cave, where people with frightened faces screamed silently, horror tearing their bodies apart. Selvig's curious look turned into one of concern as he stared at Elizabeth.

Dr. Banner cleared his throat. "That's…all good and creepy, but I don't think the Frost Giants are wanting to visit the underworld to build a summer home. What do they want with it?"

Before Elizabeth could continue, having already come up with several hypotheses, Coulson took over.

"That's the question we're paying you all for. You get all the pretty toys and gadgets, anything that you need. Fury would like a report soon, however, so I suggest you all get to it." He turned away from the group to start walking back towards the closed doors that led out of the lab, "Since this facility had to be rebuilt after the…_incident_ last year, Agent Spears here will give you all the tour later, after you all get acquainted."

At the end of his speech, Coulson pressed the door release. Standing as if he had somehow heard his name, the agent who had picked Elizabeth up from her apartment walked inside, giving everyone a nod of professional greeting.

"About that, are we sure Loki has nothing to do with this? This has his kind of crazy written all over it." At Dr. Banner's question Elizabeth glanced towards Selvig to watch his reaction. He had recovered much the past year, but she worriedly noted the way he flinched at the mention of the troublesome god. She took a step closer to him. Thor however shook his head.

"He is confined to the depths of Asgard. The Allfather has ordered that he will never see the light of day until he has learned the error of his ways. He would not have the ability to travel to Midgard, as his magic has been limited by the Allfather as further punishment."

"Shame." Elizabeth muttered, though not as quietly as she had thought as all turned to look at her in surprise, making her flush. She ignored them to concentrate on rearranging her documents into a more logical mess.

"On related news, there are a few more security measures for you all to go through. After the tour, Agent Spears will see to everything that you need." With this Coulson gave a look to his agent that conveyed an unspoken order before turning back to the others, "Well, I'll leave you to it."

As soon as Agent Coulson left, Selvig left Elizabeth's side to go speak with Agent Spears. He had already come up with a list of equipment that he needed and the lab lacked, and was quite adamant that he should get them as soon as possible. Elizabeth stayed by the table, continuing to make more of a mess with her many papers and documents. She knew the others would have more questions about her cave, and she was in the middle of trying to find her personal survey of the cave's layout when Thor walked up to her.

"You are an expert on Asgard then, Lady Elizabeth?"

"It would be presumptuous to say that because I know of the legends here on Midgard that I also know what your world is really like. But…I guess I know your world better than others." He seemed pleased by her answer, ignoring her skepticism, and gave her a tooth filled smile. Elizabeth avoided meeting his eyes by letting her eyes drift to the weapon that hung at his side.

"I am gladdened for it. It will be interesting to learn what you humans have thought of my kind. And judging from what you have said before, it seems our histories are more entwined than they had once seemed. Odin told me of his battle with Surtr, and that he spared him, though I was never aware it was to Midgard he fled to heal." Elizabeth nodded, truly fascinated by what he was telling her, but he glanced down to Mjölnir, which she had still yet to tear her eyes away from. Realizing she was caught she looked back up to see him smile wider.

"Sorry," She flustered, "I don't mean to stare. It's just you surpass the descriptions I've read about you, as does Mjölnir."

"I am glad to have lived up to your expectations of me."

Knowing her unspoken wish, Thor untied the hammer at his side to set it on the table for her to better inspect. With complete fascination she glanced it over, wanting to ask him if it really had been Loki who shortened the length of the grip as a prank, but thought better of it what with Selvig around. He nodded his head when she silently asked to touch it. She could feel the hum of live in the metal of it, and wondered if that was what magic felt like. Rather shyly Elizabeth looked back up at the demigod after a moment, and bite her lip in barely contained curiosity, an inquiry burning on her tongue.

"A question, if I may?"

"By all means, milady." His smiling invitation lowered the last of her inhibitions, and her lust for knowledge took command.

"How did you become the god of fertility? Many sources actually debate whether you took the task upon yourself to balance out being a god of war, or if Frigga assigned it to you so as to show you the qualities of creating life. Personally, I've always had doubts against both, and would love to know the truth."

Elizabeth did not think her question too personal, and yet Thor looked absolutely mortified by the time she had finished babbling. It became all too quiet and a quick glance to her side showed her that Selvig, Spears, and Banner were looking at the two of them. It was Selvig that broke the silence with a loud, healthy laugh and Elizabeth frowned.

"Sorry. That whole mind speak thing again. Can't stop it." She gave Selvig a glare, who took it as a warning and tried to stop his humor. Thor cleared his throat, trying to recover from his embarrassment.

"N-no, do not concern yourself. But if you are interested in learning the truth about Asgard, we should speak sometime. I am no expert on our own history, but perhaps I can help disclaim some of the more_ fabricated _notions Midgardian legends have of us."

Elizabeth managed to gather up a smile to return to the one Thor gave her.

"Thank you, Odinson."

"It would be a pleasure, Jonsdotter." She quietly chuckled at his use of the unnecessary matronymic suffix, and decided that the demigod wasn't half bad. If anything he presented a great opportunity never before imagined to learn about the culture that had fascinated her since childhood.

She was still not happy in the least about the circumstances that had brought her here, but she supposed there was potential for her to gain from being forced here. Resolving to make the best of the worst, she gathered up her papers, figuring that she might as well claim a table for herself in the lab.

* * *

The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent in a similar manner, with Banner, Selvig, and Elizabeth asking Spears and Thor various questions. Around the time her stomach started to growl, the agent directed them to the cafeteria, leaving them as they went into to eat. It wasn't very crowded, for which Elizabeth was thankful and was able to stand eating at a table with Selvig, Banner, and Thor as they continued to discuss more matters.

Her impression of Dr. Banner was inconclusive, though so far positive. He was no obvious monster as the news portrayed him to be, and he kept mostly to himself and spoke when necessary. So far these were traits to be admired as far as Elizabeth was concerned, and decided she had nothing to worry about from him. Thor however was every bit as loud, friendly, and big as Coulson had told her, and continued to be so when he devoured three pieces of steak and a tub of mashed potatoes. He was amiable to talk with however, and the information he offered was far too valuable for Elizabeth to keep herself from hanging onto his every word.

Once done eating, the group of researchers were greeted by a different agent who said she was to show them around the complex since Agent Spears had other matters to attend to. Together they received a rather confusing tour that left Elizabeth with a headache from trying to remember how to get around. To her all the hallways were the same, tight, small, and with no windows to hint at the desert that existed outside. While it didn't mean much for them by the way of sightseeing, Elizabeth was glad that the complex was only in the middle of a desert instead of buried in the core of the earth or flying high in the air. The nearest town was a little over three thousand in population, but they were free to visit it on the weekends if they needed a break. Elizabeth already planned on going as soon as possible, needing to go shopping for a few needed necessities.

The rest of the evening was spent back in the lab after Thor disappeared to go visit someone he did not bother to name, leaving Selvig, Elizabeth, and Banner to get started on the research. Hours passed and went unfelt until it became very late. Selvig was the first to leave while Banner and Elizabeth discussed more about the layout of the cave that she had managed to explore so far. He was disappointed that the whole thing had not been successfully mapped out and the two agreed as soon as it was deemed safe they would need to complete it themselves.

Eventually it was only Elizabeth in the lab, she tacking up maps and important documents over whatever wall space was available. She thought better when she could spread things out, and was surprised when the clock read it was nearing one in the morning. By this point and time she had been up for more than twenty-four hours and decided to call it a day. The others were going to be up early and she needed to get some sleep or else she would be useless.

Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten the way back to her room. She thought she would have remembered, but now in the quiet hours of the ungodly morning she had no idea which direction to go. Settling for wandering around until something from the tour looked familiar Elizabeth regretted that plan as soon she found herself going further and further into unfamiliar territory.

"Damn this place. Damn it and the architect that built it!" She began to curse under her breath, now very frustrated and very tired. Reaching another dead end she decided to turn around and squeaked in surprise to find someone behind her.

"A little lost Dr. Jonsson?" At Agent Spear's thickly silver voice Elizabeth flinched. He saw the shock register on her face before she could hide it and he seemed to smirk in amusement. How he had managed to sneak up on her like that was beyond disturbing and set Elizabeth on edge at the thought of anyone being so stealthy.

"You are very nearly on the other side of the compound from where your room is. Did you not get the tour?" He asked, his head tilting to one side in curiosity as he looked her over. By this time Elizabeth had composed herself and met his green eyes.

"I'm not…good at being indoors." She muttered, unable to help her embarrassment as he smirked again.

"So I see." He gestured towards the end of the hall that led away from the dead end, "I'll escort you back to your room. We'll even take the stairs."

Elizabeth did not know if he was mocking her or being polite, but took up his offer anyway, knowing that she would be hopeless at finding her way back. Without a word she walked passed him, he in turn taking up a position beside her to guide her correctly. Agent Spear's stride was long and confident and Elizabeth found herself having to quicken her pace to keep up with it, regretting that she was still wearing her heels. She was happy to let silence reign, not really in the mood for any kind of conversation, but after a while the agent spoke, again making her jump at the sound of his voice.

"How are you finding your stay at SHIELD so far?"

She tried to contain her scowl. That seemed to be everyone's favorite question to ask her today and she answered it rather impatiently. "The décor leaves much to be desired. I am looking forward to this all being over and done with."

"I would have thought an expert such as yourself on Norse legends would be more excited for such a project as this. All your heroes and villains brought to life." Agent Spears said while giving her a side glance to gauge her reaction. Elizabeth imagined that she picked up a hint of distaste in his tone, but brushed it aside as she decided to be truthful.

"Oh, trust me, I am. Deep down, I want nothing more than to have a chat with Thor and Loki over a long cup of coffee and talk shop. But Jǫtnar? I like my skin on my flesh, thank you very much." The agent smirked once more and Elizabeth found she greatly disliked the expression, it seeming too amused by her fears and worries. As they ascended a flight of stairs she let the conversation fall flat. Taking off her glasses she was aware of Agent Spears still watching her as she pinched the bridge of her nose in exhaustion.

As they came up on a floor that finally looked familiar to her, he spoke again.

"Have you noticed if there is anything you need missing yet? I would like to be of assistance if I can."

Trying to remember where she had written down her room lock combination, Elizabeth shook her head as she searched the pockets of her dress.

"And the others?" He pressed, "I have no knowledge of what was discussed, so I do not know what they else they might be needing."

"I'm sure they will tell you themselves." She mumbled as she finally found a crumpled piece of paper with scrawled numbers on it, not catching the slight irritation on the agent's face.

"Very well."

For a third time she hoped the silence that followed would continue until she reached her room. Though he was far too talkative and smirking, Elizabeth still had to admit to the agent's handsome looks. All the agents were attractive in some way she noted, and wondered if that was a requirement. Her pace picked up while the agent's seemed to slow, his face turned towards hers as a look of passive interest took over.

"I was wondering, had you found what it is that the giants are looking for yet? Exactly? Everyone in SHIELD knows it has something to do with the cave near where the giants landed."

"Hm." Was her only answer. When faced with questions she felt no want or need to answer she often gave this non-committal sound, most usually taking it as her less than subtle hint to drop the conversation. Agent Spears either failed to interpret it correctly or did not care.

"What do you think is in there, Dr. Jonsson?"

At this she turned to fully face him. His expression was composed and polite, but Elizabeth caught a familiar glint in his eyes that she had often seen in herself. Curiosity. He, as well as all the other agents in SHIELD, knew only the research team was to have all the knowledge, and then report to Fury. Everyone else, Coulson, Spears, even Thor, were on a strict need to know basis.

"I thought the words 'Top Secret' were rather self-explanatory, especially to an agent." She told him with derision weighing her voice, watching the man's expression harden.

"Quite right, Dr. Jonsson. I apologize. But this research is quite intriguing to me and I only wish to help." Elizabeth noted oddly how he made it a point to say her name often. She turned away to face forward, becoming uncomfortable at the man's prodding. The feeling of uneasy did not quiet itself, though she did her best to outwardly appear apathetic. Today had been eventful enough and she was far too tired to handle any more tension, real or imagined. She was on the point of telling the agent she could make it back just fine from here, when he spoke again, his eyes never having left her face.

"You do not care for conversation much." His was an observation, not a question. Elizabeth could not help but to make her own.

"Talking is silver, silence is golden." She recited flatly. It was a Swedish saying her mother often would repeat whenever Elizabeth became too talkative, however rare that was. She noticed that they were quickly approaching her accommodations, recognizing the room's number painted on her door. Grateful for that, she did not notice the agent stop next to her upon reaching the entryway.

"What you said before about always speaking your mind holds true then." As she punched in her number combination to unlock, Elizabeth felt the agent lean in closely. She was uncomfortable to begin with, but now he was almost aggressively invading her space without any consideration for the way she tensed. She never recalled saying anything like that to him before and was somewhat captured as she dared to meet the smoke of his green eyes.

"I suggest you tend to that. It may lead you into trouble."

As if he was simply a mirage, the agent left Elizabeth by her opened door a little stunned. Some part of her wanted to write off what he had said as some kind of tease, but the wiser side of her recognized it as a threat. Entering her room, Elizabeth vowed to never allow herself to be alone with Agent Spears again. She was not one to base her judgements off of a gut feelings, but this would not be ignored.

The incident was set aside however as she prepared to get some sleep, happy to be taking off her heels finally. Today had been long and tomorrow was looking like it would be even longer, and Elizabeth hoped that the pattern would not continue throughout her stay here at SHIELD.

* * *

Elizabeth touched Thor's hammer. You do not know how hard I tried to keep that scene from being as awkward as it could have been. But Elizabeth is a bit of a geek and just couldn't help herself, could she? And Agent Spears is a bit too curious me thinks, and trust me, it WILL lead to more trouble for Elizabeth.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks all of yous that faved, and so many follows! I give you this chapter a little later than I planned (sorry)! Please accept it though, cause I had to give up nap time to post it. Also, special thanks to those who reviewed; adelphe24, litteelfmom,XxAlexMarihaReyesxX, CandleJack, Gracie Lacy, Azera-v, Desert Vulpes Zerda! Please enjoy!

* * *

The next week fell into a pattern of research, meals, and declining sleep for Elizabeth. From the early morning till the late evening, her time was given over for Selvig's and Banner's use. They had many questions for her, mostly about the cave; when was it discovered, what was its composition, and other such details. She did her best to answer them both, but found that it would be necessary for them all to visit Iceland as soon as it was deemed safe to in order to completely satisfy everyone's curiosity.

When she did have a few moments to herself, Elizabeth set herself up to the task of finding out the 'why' to their research. She already had come up with several hypotheses, though none of them she had yet to prove more worthwhile than the other. It was all becoming a bit of a troublesome puzzle to her, though if she was to be honest she rather enjoyed it. It had been a while since she had been challenged like this, and caught little sleep as she stayed up late in the lab every night, mulling everything over.

She could not keep it up however, and after she had fallen asleep at a desk in the lab Selvig gave her his blessing to take a day off. Reluctantly she agreed, though she spent the better part of the morning in her room looking over several documents and ancient texts. She refreshed herself with a book of myths but found herself growing anxious. Her thoughts turned towards the gym Coulson had bragged about her first day here, and decided it might be worthwhile to find. Mentally exhausted she wanted another outlet for herself, knowing that sleep would come better to her afterwards.

It took her fifteen minutes and asking three different SHIELD employees for directions but Elizabeth finally found the gym. It was large, larger than she thought the tight quarters of the complex capable of fitting, with multiple rows of exercise machines. There was also large matted floor space where some agents were sparing which Elizabeth watched in fascination for a time before getting on a treadmill. Plugging in her music player, she lost herself as she concentrated on putting on foot in front of the other as she jogged in place.

Over an hour later, Elizabeth was covered in a sheen of sweat and breathing heavily. She was used to taxing herself with her love of hiking and riding, but it had been a while since she pushed her limits. She had never really been a runner, and foolishly overestimated her ability for speed. But now she began the process of cooling down, her sides burning uncomfortably.

Happily she got off the treadmill, finally noticing as she came out of her fatigue that a large multitude had entered the gym, making the space seem constricted. She went into the locker room and was happy that it was practically empty.

She opened the locker that had been given to her after some difficulty with the lock, fumbling with the keys. Everything here was kept under lock and key, serving to only frustrate Elizabeth. The satisfaction of her run placed her in a almost exhaustively pleasant mood though, and she took a long, luxurious drink of her water. She was considering taking a shower before heading back to her room, when a noise started up within the locker. A large crowd of women came in from the gym, quickly filling the locker room with their chatting and numbers. Elizabeth was unbothered until several of them had bummed into her when she slipped on her jacket over her sports bra.

Now far too crowded for her taste, Elizabeth made her way over to the exit. Unfortunately her escape was timed with a wave of women coming in to the locker rooms to start on their own workouts. Probably the before lunch crowd. They blocked her route and caused her to have to step back to avoid being overwhelmed by their numbers. All of them were talking, loudly and cheerfully, filling the tiled room with echoes of their conversations. Set on edge by her workout, Elizabeth found her anxiousness to leave growing. Outwardly she was calm but came close to elbowing her way through the crowd to make her way through.

Upon her escape she nearly bolted down the halls. She was not sure where she was going, but needed to create distance in order to breathe. A panic attack was not immediately eminent, but with her safe was always better than sorry. It had been several months since her last, desperate, panic attack, but she expected her luck to run out one day. Soon enough her phobic mind deemed it was alright to stop, and she leaned herself up against the wall of an empty hallway. She had no clue where she had wandered, but couldn't care as she calmed her breathing. That run had left her more winded than she thought. Closing her eyes, she set herself to securing her fishtail braid, feeling the need to fix something.

"You alright?" A voice asked after Elizabeth had resigned herself to sitting on the floor, reveling in the peace. She was slightly annoyed that someone had interrupted her attempt at composure, but her features softened as she saw it was Dr. Banner looking down at her.

"If I said yes, would you believe me?" She asked him with a raised brow. He gave her a subtle grin as he presented her with his hand.

"Not really."

"Then there you go." Hesitantly accepting his extended hand, Elizabeth let Dr. Banner help her to her feet. She supposed it went without saying that his grip was strong, but it was also surprisingly gentle. She quickly zipped up her spandex jacket to cover her sports bra, slightly embarrassed for being caught sweating like a pig by her new colleague.

"Thanks." She muttered. Again he offered her a small grin.

"No problem."

Elizabeth was about to leave him when she happened to glance around, and not noticing anything familiar, looked towards Banner sheepishly. "Um…sorry, but, how do I get back to the rooms?"

"I'm heading that way." Dr. Banner shared, and without another word the pair of them walked together, Elizabeth dependent upon him to guide her back. She really needed to ask for a map of the complex. Maybe she could ask Coulson the next time he bothered them. The two were content with the silence, but Dr. Banner happened to remember something important after a few minutes.

"Oh, Dr. Selvig caught a peak in the levels about an hour ago. It's stronger than the others have been, but still far away from the threshold it would take to have the giants make it over."

Elizabeth nodded, remembering that they had been monitoring the radiation levels for some time now.

"How much far away?"

"Hard to say." He sighed in frustration, "Right now it could be anything from a couple of days to a couple months before the giants get the chance to try again."

"That's comforting." She muttered cynically.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I didn't tell you that Fury is expecting a full report by tomorrow, and that he'll be expecting an exact date." Banner told her with a friendly smirk and Elizabeth found herself returning the expression eagerly.

"Yeah, good thing."

Again there was silence, and though Elizabeth found it comfortable she almost wished for an excuse to continue a conversation with the man she was rapidly finding to be fascinating. The business about the Hulk aside, Dr. Banner was an interesting specimen of man; brilliant, with a quiet nature that Elizabeth happened to appreciate in the hustle here at SHIELD. When Selvig would retire for the night she and Banner would often stay late, continuing the research and branching off into unrelated topics at times. He was rather fascinated in the studies she conducted concerning radiocarbon dating near the cave and in turn offered her his personal accounts of meeting Thor and his brother. It brought a smile to her face to think of the demigod that had hurt her friend so deeply lying on the broken floor of Stark Tower, wheezing and bruised.

"You and Dr. Selvig been friends for very long?" Asked Banner after a while, breaking her thoughts. Elizabeth paused to find the memory.

"Four years now. Met in the university cafeteria. Accidentally spilled tomato soup on his plaid shirt, and then proceeded to tell him that it was an improvement." When he chuckled Elizabeth felt her positive perception of him solidify, liking the soft sound he made immensely.

"You?" She asked.

"New York, aliens."

"Ah."

"He said you're only twenty-three?" Banner skillfully directed the conversation in another direction, picking up Elizabeth's unease about that particular time concerning her friend, "Kind of young for a doctor who teaches her own classes and goes snooping around haunted caves."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I suppose. But so were you. You got your PhD in Nuclear Physics a year younger than I got my first doctorate. And as much as I would like to stand up for my field, archaeology is not rocket science." She managed to make Banner laugh a second time. Again, outside of the Hulk incident, he was a rather notable figure for Culver University. She had heard about his accomplishments many times back when she was a very young student. The few professors that remembered him spoke nothing but the promise of his brilliance, and Elizabeth had heard much gossip concerning his gone wrong experiments. Meeting him however, she felt ashamed of the mad scientist notion she first had of him.

"I don't like them either." Banner told her after a moment, causing Elizabeth to finally glance towards him. "Crowds. Tight places. Make me anxious."

Obviously he had keyed onto the hints from her little quirks and the way he had just found her a few minutes ago and correctly interpreted the situation, but often such scrutiny from others was repellant to Elizabeth. Some people felt entitled to make her feel better about herself by bringing themselves down to what they thought was her level, and it did nothing but infuriate her. They thought they knew what it felt like to be constantly anxious, to fear being beyond help, to obsessively be on the lookout for escapes all while suppressing the desire to run to them. But from his tone, she knew Banner was speaking not from pity, but experience. He wasn't a fool and he didn't talk too much, making what he said count all the more. This instance was no different.

"I manage." Elizabeth muttered eventually, turning away to stare at her athletic shoes. She did not like discussing personal matters, but didn't feel compelled to stop the conversation.

"That's all we can do really. Manage, maintain, and clean the mess up afterwards." Banner paused for a second before he gave her a side glance, "If I said I understood how you feel, would you believe me?"

At his turnabout of her own words she smirked.

"Yes. Though I think you might have a worse time with it than I do, since my clothes budget doesn't suffer every time I have a break down." She wasn't sure if the joke was appropriate, but like every other time, he chuckled. It was definite in her mind now that Elizabeth enjoyed Dr. Banner's company.

The two of them were just coming up on what was familiar territory within the complex for Elizabeth as they started to turn a corner. Something occurred to her then and she turned to speak with Banner excitedly.

"Do you happen to know the way to where the archives are kept? I've been thinking, and if I could just confirm a few facts, I might just be able to–"

Elizabeth was cut off when she slammed into what felt like a wall, though on second instinct she noted that it was warm. She was forced to step back some, but froze when she felt a hand graze her hip. The contact was brief, brief enough to make Elizabeth wonder if it had happened at all. Blinking in confusion her blue eyes met the curious green of Agent Spears and immediately tensed. She had not come across him since that night he had guided her back to her room and the interrupted hiatus was not welcomed. When he stepped back to give her a smirk she forced her surprise down.

"I apologize, Dr. Jonsson. I did not see you."

"I-it's fine." Elizabeth cursed her stutter. She felt his eyes scrutinize her mask as one of his brows rose in skepticism.

"Is it?"

With that he walked passed her to leave, nodding to Banner briefly. The doctor had watched the exchange in passive interest, though he moted how Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as she turned to look at the retreating agent. Unfortunately, a matter of unfinished business occurred to her and she forced herself to call out after him.

"Oh, uh, Agent Spears?"

The man stopped, only glancing back at her.

"I will be wanting to go to the archive storage later." Spears' head tilted in a daunting manner that forced Elizabeth to add, "If that's alright."

His smirk widened into a smile that sweetly proclaimed a false amenability. The expression made her suspicious and perturbed. "Of course, I would only be glad to show you the way."

"He's odd that one." Banner muttered once the two of them were alone again. Elizabeth turned back down the hallway, trying to push aside the sensation that emanated from her hip away.

"They're all odd to me. Why are they always wearing sunglasses?"

"I actually happen to have a few theories on that subject." Banner smiled, and she gave him a friendly smirk.

"Oh, do tell."

* * *

It was late and the complex had settled itself into the quiet hours of the night. Elizabeth was of course still up, reclined on one of the living room chairs she had purchased from her first visit to town. She wanted her room to have more of an at home feel to it since her stay at SHIELD so far seemed indefinite. Next on her shopping list was more shelves, but she would have to wait until the next weekend to do that.

For once she was taking this time to herself to relax. The past week had been strenuous, in more ways than one, and she felt a need to forget where she was and what she was doing. The pajama shorts she wore freed her legs as she draped them over the side of the chair, engaging herself in the book she had chosen.

It took more willpower than she wanted to admit how difficult she found reading for pleasure these days, but forced herself to pick up one of her favorite luxury books. It was a romance novel, though not of the dime variety, she had her standards. Austen was her cup of tea. Cliché, she knew, but beyond the romance she admired the sophisticated way the characters expressed themselves through their actions and words. In particular she–

All at once there was an alarm blaring through the confines of the entire complex. It echoed painfully and instantly had Elizabeth on her feet, hands over her ears. From the safety briefing she had received she knew it was not the fire alarm or the panic alarm. It was the…damn, it was…the security alarm! Someone was trying to break into a part of the complex they were not welcomed, and by the way it kept blaring they were in somewhere highly secure.

Against procedure she went out into the hall, stopping to grab her silk robe beforehand to slip it on. She was not the only one it seemed as she quickly spotted Selvig and Dr. Banner in the hall way as well, the later looking like he was just woken up by the way his matching pajamas were rumpled. Selvig was at the intercom, talking to the agent on the emergency line.

"Erik? What's going on?" She asked worriedly. The alarm continued to blare around them and she was anxious to dispel the danger. He disappointed her though when he marched past her, forcing her to follow him.

"Someone broke into the lab, they're trying to find out who."

"What? The lab, why?"

"Maybe someone knows what we're up to." Dr. Banner added as he caught up with them. Together they walked down to the level the labs were. It was filled with agents, and though the crowded space was the least of her concerns Elizabeth stood closer to Banner, trying to remain calm. It was hard, especially when the agents continued to run around, some in panic, most in graveness. They stopped when they reached the doors that led to the lab they used, where most of the agents were collected.

From what she could see everything looked fine outside of the many agents that swarmed around them. Nothing looked obviously broken or tampered with to her as they went inside, but some things did look displaced.

"Do you think they stole anything?" She asked Banner. He shook his head and leaned down to whisper.

"Don't think so. If there's one thing SHIELD is good at, it's hiding secrets."

They continued to watch the bustle and panic around them. One of the agents Elizabeth recognized, one Maria Hill. The woman was tall, slim, and unlike the other agents wore a jumpsuit with SHIELD's insignia. She remember Coulson mentioning that Hill was Fury's right hand, so it made sense that she was here, directing and ordering the others about as they combed over everything. Elizabeth was wondering if they were all just in the way when Agent Hill came over to them.

"We need to talk." Her tone was serious and left no room for debate.

"Did they get anything?" Erik asked, tying his bathrobe tighter. Agent Hill's eyes flashed between them all, settling on Elizabeth in a manner most unsettling. Elizabeth however stared back, in no mood for this kind of mess.

"No. The encryption codes show that the information kept in the database so far seems untouched, but that is not the main concern."

Stepping forward, Agent Hill loomed over Elizabeth. There was a severity in her features that impressed, though Elizabeth was far from intimidated. "Can you give an alibi for your whereabouts for the past hour?"

"Why are you asking her?" Banner stepped closer, watching Agent Hill carefully. Both women ignored his question as Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the taller woman.

"No. I was alone in my room."

At this Agent Hill surprised her by sighing in frustration. Something wrong was happening, but Elizabeth could not put her finger on the pulse of the problem. Obliviously that something wrong had to do with her, but still she did not react any less surprised with what Agent Hill said next.

"Then you're going to have to come with me."

"Why?" Tersely asked Elizabeth.

Without a word an agent handed something to Hill, a small tablet. Tapping it, Hill turned it so the Selvig, Elizabeth, and Banner could watch what looked like a clip from the security footage SHIELD kept. It looked to be from the camera that sat outside the doors of the lab and for a while the minutes were skipped over, showing nothing. But just twenty minutes till the present, a figure shimmered. He was tall, stalking secretively, but something was off, like his body was cloaked. Elizabeth had to squint to even make out his silhouette, which became more obvious when he walked into the lab. The camera viewpoint shifted as the man looked everywhere for whatever his purpose for trespassing was, and when Hill finally paused it, Elizabeth finally recognized the man.

"That's Spears! He broke in? Was he a double agent or something?" Asked Selvig, now quite worried. Outside of Elizabeth, the others had trusted him with their favors and requests. He was not intimate in what exactly they were researching, but that he had been in close quarters with them before and now proved dangerous was an uncomfortably invading feeling for them all. Elizabeth though was hardly surprised, if anything it confirmed the suspicions she already had. No one innocent ever smirked the way he liked to.

"Or something. The point is he used Dr. Jonsson's ID badge to access the lab. It's shown logged here on the time roster, coinciding with the time of the break in." Agent Hill revealed, causing Elizabeth to blink in shock. Again Hill gave the shorter woman a severe glare, "Can you explain that to me?"

Her ID badge? How was that possible? There was no way he could have–oh. Oh, that sneaky, sly, shifty son of a bitch! Becoming all too obvious Elizabeth groaned in frustration as she tried to explain.

"He bumped into me earlier. He must have fished it out of my pocket. Ask Dr. Banner, he was there!" At her pleading look Banner did look like he was about to speak up on her behalf, but was stopped when Agent Hill cut him off.

"In time. Right now, it would be wise of you to tell us if there is anything else."

"What else is there to tell?" Elizabeth glared, only to then interpret the hint of suspicion in the agent's eyes, "You think I helped him? I don't even want to be here!"

"Now wait a minute, Lizzie here would never–" Selvig tried to begin, but now becoming quite frustrated Hill interrupted him as sharply as she had Banner.

"It is quite possibly that you are in fact innocent Dr. Jonsson. However we have known the enemy to influence others into doing their bidding before, something_ you_ should be familiar with Dr. Selvig."

With that Agent Hill silenced Selvig once and for all, causing Elizabeth's irritation to grow. She could understand their suspicions, but they were digging in the wrong place, and all this was just futile when she had already told them the truth. Perhaps that wasn't enough for them, they needed to prove her innocent beyond reproach. No, she was a fool if she thought that. She was now under their suspicions, and by the condemning look Agent Hill was giving her, they were finding her nothing but guilty.

"We will have to take precautions. The whole building is on lockdown. If he is still here Spears will be caught, but as a possible accomplice, we cannot let you wander around." Added Hill, and Elizabeth noticed a pair of agents come up beside her. Her mask remained calm while her teeth began to grind themselves in irritation. The fury she felt dampened some when she looked down at her robe.

"Can I at least change out of my pajamas first?"

* * *

Sorry that this chapter was really short, but I am building up for the next chapter in which I am happy to say Loki will _officially_ be introduced to Elizabeth!


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth was tired. She was under house arrest, her room had been torn apart in the name of evidence, and she would need to do laundry soon. In other words, it had been a rough forty-eight hours.

"This is pointless. They know it wasn't you. It was only Spears they caught on their cameras." Ranted Selvig as he paced the length of Elizabeth's room in SHIELD. Though it was more of a mess than usual due to the agents combing it over, she was grateful she was allowed to stay in it and not in some kind of holding unit. Though that of course looked like it could change at any moment.

After she was allowed to change out of her nightclothes, Elizabeth was immediately taken to an interview room. Agent Hill conducted the inquest, and for several hours asked every question under the sun. Who her coworkers are, if anxiety disorders like hers ran in the family, did she harbor resentment towards SHIELD, had she ever come into contact with aliens, on and on it went till Elizabeth felt her patience taxed beyond its limits. Things got too personal for her taste when they prodded about her father not being her true biological parent and she nearly became livid. They did not handcuff her to her chair, thank gods, but she felt that possibility was looming.

Despite her stubbornness and infuriation, Elizabeth managed to remain composed and answer all the questions without _completely_ losing her calm. Her anger over the injustice of it all kept her anxieties at bay, mostly due to a steadily rising hate for a particular pair of green eyes.

She swore, if she ever met Agent Spears again she would give him a splitting headache and a broken nose. For now though her best hope was that SHIELD would catch him and clear her name. There was a dismal thought if there ever was one, one that made her want to worm out of her skin. Her faith was forcibly placed on the competence of the very people that suspected her of treason to find her innocent. Till such time she was confined to her room, her meals brought to her and a guard placed outside her door at all times.

"They're just being thorough." She sighed, too tired to muster her own anger anymore, not after the three hours of inquiring she had just come back from. Slumped into one of her plush chairs with her bare feet tucked under, she watched Selvig continue to pace. That SHIELD had allowed him to visit her was surprising, but right now she wasn't in the mood for anyone's company, not even that of a good friend's.

"They're trying to find a scapegoat!"

"It will be fine, I'll plead the fifth or something if they get too bothersome." Elizabeth mumbled as she went back to organizing the disarray of papers and copies of ancient texts the agents left behind for her to deal with. It annoyed her that they touched her things, particularly when she noticed her grandmother's Dala horse had been dusted for prints. Personal property obviously did not make it into SHIELD's staff vocabulary.

"That's not how things operate around here Lizzie." Chided Selvig. Elizabeth took in a deep breath that failed to calm her.

"I know."

"This is serious, more serious than you know!"

Elizabeth looked up from her work, expression harsh but pale in exhaustion.

"I'm not fucking naive Erik, but I don't really see what else you or I can do about it but keep our heads and remain calm! Damn it!" Realizing how her tone had climbed loudly, she cleared her throat and looked away from Selvig's obvious concern. Unconsciously she scratched the scar on her right forearm from the incident with the frost giants. Her life used to a simple balance of dirt and research, now she was tangled with aliens and secret agents. Nothing was quite as clear as it once was, though she doubted it was ever so simple for her. It would do her no good to look on her past with rose colored glasses when it wasn't deserving of it.

"Who do you think he was?" She asked, an idle question to move past her thoughts. Selvig went back to his pacing.

"Spears? I don't know, a spy or something."

"For who?"

"SHIELD has a lot of enemies, on this world and on others. Neither side cares who gets drawn into the crossfire." Elizabeth knew who he meant. And while that possibility was considered, a quick interview with Thor dispelled most suspicion about a certain adopted son of Asgard. She almost smiled at the memory of the all mighty Thor stopping by to ask how she faired, and the gesture, though brief, was greatly appreciated. Banner too asked after her, though Selvig acted as his messenger. As for Erik himself, he acted as if it was him that was under suspicion. She supposed she should be grateful for his concern, but she did not need it. All she wanted was to withdraw from her run down emotions.

"You seem to be taking this accusation towards me pretty hard." She attempted to smirk as she tenaciously picked at the frayed ends of her jeans, trying to lighten the mood. As to be expected she failed as Selvig almost sighed himself into her empty chair.

"You need to be careful Lizzie. Whoever Spears was, he singled you out to take the fall. If he's still around, he just might use you again."

Elizabeth shook her head. That was the least of her concerns. "Doubt it. He failed to get what he wanted so he's likely moved on to cover his tracks. Besides, SHIELD is watching me like a hawk now."

With that said she glanced around. She had yet to see them put a surveillance camera in her room, but that didn't mean it wasn't already there. The thought was embarrassing, but that her privacy should be further encroached upon thanks to a lack of security on their part made her nervous. There were no obvious signs that she was being surveyed, but now that her mind lingered on the feeling of being watched.

She shook her head; this place was building up her paranoia.

"I'm going to grab a drink now and try and pretend this whole thing never happened." Selvig spoke before the silence could settle comfortably between them. Elizabeth smirked again, this time genuinely.

"Alcohol and pretense. Sounds like a winning combination to me." Selvig laughed and gave her a smile, but after inspecting the tired bags under her eyes looked away and sighed. He stood up, and Elizabeth felt compelled to mirror the action.

"You're right, Lizzie. I shouldn't have gotten involved again. And now you are."

"Too late for regrets now Erik. Besides, it's something to write home about." She pushed aside, not entirely confident in her words but not wanting to linger on what could no longer be helped. Her kinder instincts told her to comfort her friend, but in her exhaustion she could not imagine how. She settled for placing her hand on his shoulder, giving it an awkward pat. "It'll be fine. I'll be fine."

His small, kind smile returned and before Elizabeth could become too drained of her emotions he turned to leave. His five minutes had been up for a while now and it was time he got going. He had his own repeat inquest to go to in the morning anyways. She followed after him, her bare feet pattering on the cold ground. Making a mental note to buy slippers should her freedom survive this, she pressed the electronic release to her door.

"I'll come by tomorrow if I can." He told her before stepping out, giving her one last encouraging look. Despite all he was rather confident, at least in her ability to take care of herself. Elizabeth couldn't find herself able to participate in his meek optimism.

"See you then."

For a while she leaned up against her open door way for no particular reason. If she was to give an honest answer, it might be that she was restless. Her schedule was not hers to command and that made her anxious. Glancing over the agent that stood at attention by her door she ventured to gain some security for her future.

"Hey, you," Slowly and unwillingly the agent turned to look down at her. "When will Agent Hill be seeing me again? I would like to know when my next interrogation will be."

"Not my problem." He answered coldly without missing a beat. The agent turned to then press for the door to close, giving Elizabeth the whole of a second to take a step back and out of its way. Her patience at its end, she could not keep herself from slamming a fist into the closed steel door with all of her anger.

"Skitstövel!" She cursed loudly, knowing that the agent wouldn't hear through the thick door.

This place was driving her mad. Why did she ever concede to work for these people? It probably would have just been better to have been fired than to get caught up in all this mess. It was turning her more into a neurotic that she already was. Now running on what little reserves of energy she had, Elizabeth sighed, slumping to rest her forehead against the door in defeat. What she wouldn't give for a cup of coffee right about now.

Shuddering at a sudden cold, Elizabeth wrapped her knitted cardigan closer to her body as she turned to get ready for bed.

"Hello Dr. Jonsson."

Elizabeth's eyes were immediately drawn to the figure that now sat in one of her chairs as if it had always been there. At first she thought herself delirious with exhaustion, but a better informed instinct of hers realized the potential danger and took the liberty of making her blood freeze. The figure was lean, relaxed, and poised with legs crossed. Some part of her mind was able to take in the strange, archaic clothes and the long, slick black hair, but Elizabeth found she could focus on only one particular aspect of the stranger.

His eyes were green.

Loki.

This was...quite unexpected.

Elizabeth reacted in fear, possibly the worst thing she could have done, and bolted. It was her plan to reach the door and call for help. But what little hope she had of making it turned into her crucial mistake as she was caught off guard long enough to be overcome by an immense power. Turned over, her back was held up against the very door she had wanted to escape through, her feet hovering above the ground. Her hands instinctively went to her neck where an adequate amount of pressure was being placed to choke her but not completely asphyxiate either. She assumed it was precisely this he was aiming for and she wasn't surprised to see those vacant green eyes tearing into her.

"If you scream, I need only to bash your skull in." He hissed down at her, his voice creating an unwilling shiver of panic. She didn't see why he needed to be quiet. The agent on the other side must have heard him slam her into the door, right? It would only be a matter of seconds till he was discovered and she was saved. But as silence crawled, Elizabeth realized that no one was coming, at least, not any time soon.

"Do we have an understanding?" By the dark severity of his tone, it seemed to Elizabeth he wanted her to answer him. With no choice and little hope, she nodded. She could feel the echo of her heartbeat beating against the tight squeeze of his grip on her throat, which he seemed to constrict in final warning. It would be all too easy for him to snap her neck with just a flick of his wrist and that thought made her sick with fear.

He then eased up enough for her to slink back to the ground though did not remove his hand entirely while she remained incarcerated by his impressive stature. Elizabeth found she can do nothing but breathe for a few moments, holding up a tentative hand to her neck while gasping. She was glad she wasn't one for wearing jewelry or that might have been more painful than it was. Suppressing the want to roll her eyes at herself, she forced herself to speak.

"What do you want?"

"You have answers. Answers to the questions I have." She kept locked with his eyes, searching for some sign that he wasn't really there or was wasn't who she believed him to be. The sharpness of his jaw, the thin shape of his lips, and the high cut of his cheek bones looked all too familiar however, even with slight differences.

"Spears." She groaned, it all becoming obvious. She felt a glare darken her face, "You framed me."

"Could have been avoided, had you cooperated earlier and given over the information I wanted."

"I didn't answer your questions then, what makes you think I'm going to answer them now?" Elizabeth scoffed before she had time to think over her words. With his proximity she almost felt more than saw the tick of anger that tightened his jaw. The dark fog of his narrowed eyes confronted her frailty, working Elizabeth's panic wildly further.

"Because now you know who I am, Dr. Jonsson." He sneered, "You've read about me, heard about me, but now you see me. And now you rightfully tremble."

She could hardly breathe through her gasps as something of distaste passed beneath his eyes as he markedly observed what he had needlessly pointed out. Elizabeth flinched at the feel of his long fingers crawling their way up from her collarbone to her chin. His anger softened into cruel amusement at her consequent shudder, though Elizabeth hardly thought it any less threatening. From a time when she had been little and helpless she had a great dislike of touched, and his invasion made her body spasm in aversion. She wanted nothing more than to scream at him and rip his hand away, but following that urge would only make matters worse.

"You said you wanted to speak with me once. I wonder, is that desire still there Dr. Jonsson?" He smirked, and Elizabeth wanted to tear off that all too familiar expression of his. At her hardened glare he tilted his head to one side curiously, as if looking for something beneath her fear, and failed to find it. The grip on her jaw became tighter as he brought her chin up, exposing her neck and increasing her sense of vulnerability.

"I'm rather disappointed," He continued to mock, "I had thought you were looking forward to meeting me. Is this not what your curiosity wanted? You now have the opportunity to satisfy it, should you not be thanking me?"

"I thought we were going to talk about you." She commented lightly with a raised brow, somehow managing to speak without a stutter.

"Wrong, I said I had questions. I did not specify what they pertained to." He corrected, the cruel humor in his voice now gone. Loki surprised Elizabeth by letting her go and taking a step back. Almost instantaneously she found herself better able to breath, though her heart still jumped at the lingering sensation of his threatening touch. He stepped aside, gesturing to the chairs behind them.

"Sit. I prefer a woman who stays put."

As if she had any choice in the matter. It was quite obvious to her that should she try to even lift a finger to press for the door to open he would snap her neck. She could scream, but she wasn't certain how that would result in anything different. He could be found out, but she would be dead, and that was not something she was willing to risk for the possibility of Loki being seen.

He waited for her to move first before following, seating himself down in one of her chairs and impatiently waiting for her to do the same. She took the chair across from him, sitting rigid and shifting uncomfortably.

"They believe it was you who helped Spears break in." He began immediately, his tone hiding nothing of the absurdity he saw in the situation.

"You know it wasn't. You took my ID, before in the hall when you ran into me." She accused, her anger finally gaining traction alongside her fear. This man, demi-god, whatever, was responsible for a lot of her troubles. She would cooperate to keep her life but she made no promise to be agreeable. Her harsh tone had no effect however as Loki scoffed loudly.

"It's amusing that they even suspect you at all. You bear the look of innocence too well to be considered a significant threat to anyone, even your own kind."

Elizabeth huffed, "Ouch. You always this pleasant?"

"I will be asking the questions." He said with edge.

"Then ask." She bit.

At this his expression changed to one of harsh amusement again. It was difficult for Elizabeth to keep up with his little swings and did not know at first how to react to his next question.

"Have somewhere better to be, doctor?"

"Selvig will be coming back shortly. You can't take forever." Elizabeth knew that was by all accounts a lie. Selvig would not be coming back until the morning, maybe. It occurred to her too late how foolish it was to fib to someone titled the God of Lies, and was unsurprised when his glare towards her hardened.

"You have knowledge and abilities Dr. Jonsson, but not where it counts." Elizabeth's expression fell into confusion, but Loki did not give her the time to reflect as he leaned forward.

"Don't lie to me again when you so exceedingly lack the talent for it. It's rather insulting. We both know that nobody is coming for you," he warned her, his tone cold enough to freeze water. Compelled, she nodded in silent agreement. This seemed to be what he required from her as he then closed his eyes in thought, beginning what seemed to be a prepared speech.

"As I have said before, the cave you are researching is of great interest. I am needing access to all the information SHIELD possess on it," He shifted back into his chair, rolling his shoulders in a predatory fashion. "Though I had infiltrated this organization with ease, it had not brought me as close to my desire as I had initially hoped. Not all the information I needed was within my grasp as Agent Spears."

Loki stopped, opening his eyes once more to give Elizabeth a piercing gaze. Unwillingly she cringed from the vivid green.

"You however…" He said pointedly with a sneer, "Will help me obtain everything."

"I don't see how. My access has been restricted now thanks to the suspicion you placed on me."

He waved her excuse off. "Your usefulness is limited for now, yes, but you possess greater knowledge about that cave than even SHIELD is aware of. And I have no doubt they will find you innocent and your implication in my haste will pass."

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to be humored. So far it looked like SHIELD was prepared to throw away the key and be done with her all thanks to him. And if she hadn't already been found guilty, she would be now if they find him in her room, reclining in her chair. She had hoped her paranoia about the agents placing a camera in her room was right, but since none of the Avengers had yet to come in guns ablaze, she appeared to be on her own.

"I wish I had your confidence." She muttered derisively.

"I fully believe you do." Loki chided, once again amused, "I have never seen a woman so terrified of everything. That you have yet to faint is miraculous, though greatly appreciated."

Elizabeth frowned. Now he was just being plain rude. Still, it was increasingly unnerving to remember how much personal information Loki had been granted posing as an agent. For all she knew he could have read all her files, including the one that held her parents' home address or the details of her anxieties and painful childhood. The very thought of that gave her back her façade, compelled to put up a front. Anger was not a luxury she could afford concerning him, but she needed him to think her unwilling and unable to be of use to him. It was her only chance of being rid of him, however slim.

"Maybe you are not as terrifying as you like to think."

Loki's brows rose. For a moment he looked surprised, but Elizabeth realized it was skepticism as his unnerving gaze took all of her in. "Do not invent bravery when we both know it is fear which makes you shiver. And it is your wise dread of me that will compel you to serve as I chose."

Despite her previous efforts, this broke her thin mask of calm and control. All her fury gathered itself into her voice as she very nearly hissed her next words.

"I'd sooner stick needles in my eyes than help you shine your boots, Loki Laufeyson." His dark look intensified, but she turned away from it to shrug, "A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend."

She felt the apprehension in the air, was choking on its thick taste. She had laid down the last card she held, her absolute hate for him, as a ditch effort to make him see she was not the accomplice for him. The hate she felt was every bit as genuine as her fear, and she wondered what would come next. Should she scream now? Would it even do any good? She had just basically told a mad god that she would rather die than help him, and in all likelihood he was going to take her up on that.

Hearing the soft rustle of Loki standing, Elizabeth looked up. With barely a stride he was standing over where she sat, as still as a statue. The details of his current mood was unreadable, but she could feel his dark emotion rolling off in waves. The suddenness of him leaning down found her unable to react, even when he raised a hand to her face again. Instinct prepared her for the strike he was no doubt going to deliver and when the back of his fingers barely grazed her cheek, she winced, breaking her stillness.

But no pain spread across her face or blinded her. From his quiet, cruel laugh, Elizabeth realized she had lost. The move had been a power play, a call on her bluff. She was terrified of him, it did not matter how much she hated him. He now had the smirk of the devil on his face at his small victory over her, knowing that she had relinquished her freedom of choice to her fear of him.

"For a second and final time; do, not, lie, to _me_." He seethed. Elizabeth's breath left her in shudders as his fingers traced the outline of her jaw to then grip her chin painfully, forcing her to look up at him like before. "You have been nothing but a perfect thorn in my side, Dr. Jonsson. Do not tempt me further to remove you."

Had she been lying? She supposed so, at least in the hopes that her hate of him was stronger. Inside she was conceding, too terrified to come up with any urge to fight or run, an all too familiar state for her. Her phobic reaction to his presence was deciding her compliance without consensus from her logic or reason, and that she would do as he said was becoming hideously obvious.

"What I decide leaves you without choice. It is not your consent I seek, for you know as well as I that you will be giving me what I desire to know. I trust you are wise enough to know that should you go to SHIELD, even more suspicion will be cast onto you. And your naive demeanor, though stifling, will not protect you."

"What do you want?" Elizabeth asked, tittering between anger and desperation.

He finally let her go, to her great relief, and stalked out of her view to stand behind her. She tried to see a way around what he had shared, but couldn't find an escape. She was trapped by his words and couldn't see a way out. At least none that didn't bring her to an awful end.

"Good luck with your inquiry tomorrow." His voice was a half whisper at her ear, and at the bidding of some instinct Elizabeth turned in her chair. He was gone, as if he had never been.

For several minutes she could not bring herself to move. Elizabeth just kept waiting for him to reappear, say one more thing to undermine her sanity or just end her. But no, he said he had uses for her. He just did not say when or how he would utilize them however. That bought her some time. Time to think, time to find a way to tell SHIELD that a monster was on the loose without getting herself, or anyone she cared about, killed in the process.

Sighing, Elizabeth tossed her head back. She would _kill_ for some coffee right about now.

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Oh, my. Poor Elizabeth, she didn't seem to make all that good impression on Loki, now did she? Sorry for another short chapter, but I hoped it was fun now that our main characters have officially met! Oh, 'skitstövel' basically translates to 'shoe full of shit' and is akin to just calling someone a bastard in Swedish. So, yeah, the more you learn.

I'm gonna update again soon and then I'm gonna try to update just weekly. I'm thinking Saturday is a good day. I do have other stories that need my attention and I also have summer session I'm attending at uni. So tata darlings, and see you soon!

**Thanks to Arianne1, 88dragon06, Essha, adelphe24, FutureErotic, Gracie Lacy, kallmered, and inperfection for reviewing! Your support is treasured!**


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks to all who faved, followed! It means much to me! Special thanks to those who reviewed; Gracie Lacy, Legolas' Girl 31, Arianne1, FutureErotic, adelphe24, inperfection, Azera-v! You all make me smile!

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Elizabeth fidgeted, a little more than nervous. She was wearing a tight pencil skirt and blouse with black heels, something she would normally wear to a presentation or to her lectures. She often preferred comfort over making a good impression any day. But seeing as this was ruling of her involvement with the Spears incident, perhaps making an effort in her attire was the sensible thing to do. The rest of her however looked awful, mostly because of her rough night. She had not slept a moment. Perhaps that was evident by the capacious amount of eye makeup she was wearing to cover the sleepy bags under her eyes.

And of course it had everything to do with Loki.

He hadn't returned again since that second night of her internment. And as far as she could tell at the moment, he wasn't about to make his face known to anyone but herself. She'd gone over in her head their discussion and it felt like he hadn't actually asked her anything specific. He had said it was only information. But he didn't need to get direct answers from her in specific to learn all he wanted, so she was vexed by his evasive behavior. Clearly he was looking for the same thing the frost giants were in that cave, as he hardly seemed the type of man to waste his time with chitchat. Perhaps what he was looking for he had already found, and just needed confirmation.

She hoped that was all he needed. For now she decided that she would keep silent. If she could solve this without getting anyone else involved, it would be for the best. Certainly, she could try and explain how she had been framed by a demi-god, but Thor had told them that Loki had been locked away. In light of recent events, Elizabeth had a feeling SHIELD would be more inclined to believe one of their strongest allies over a woman implicated in treason. It was because of that reason why she felt the need to keep Loki's return to Earth to herself. With little evidence and the odds stacked against her already, she doubt she could bring anyone to believe it. She hardly did herself.

Also, just because Thor told them that Loki was limited, whatever that meant, it didn't mean he lacked the capacity to hurt her or others. That she would not allow. She was not being brave, she just really couldn't stand the idea of dying under any circumstances other than old age.

Elizabeth had an inkling he would appear to her again soon, and all she would have to tell him were some basic truths to convince him that he didn't need anything from her. If she could do that, and he left her be to move onto whatever the next stage of his plan was, she could then tell SHIELD he was here and deal with the aftermath then. Of course, that plan relied on him leaving her alive after getting what he wanted from her…

Agent Hill and several other lackeys of SHIELD walked in then, each filing behind the other as they came to sit down at a long table. Elizabeth kept herself standing in the middle of the room, ignoring the chair that had been set out for her. To her it was just a bit much in pomp and circumstance, but Agent Hill seemed a by the rule book person, more so than her stiff suited compatriots.

Replacing her fidgeting with a forced calm, Elizabeth stood straighter as Agent Hill began to speak.

"Dr. Elizabeth Sigyn Jonsson, this is the final inquest of your involvement with the matter of Spears and his treachery towards the organization of SHIELD. Do you have any final statements to make before we give our ruling of your involvement?"

"…no."

Agent Hill nodded, folding her hands on the table. This was it, the moment Elizabeth had been waiting for. In the next few seconds she could either be exonerated or exorcized. "Due to the witness accounts of both Banner and Selvig, coupled with the lack of evidence of any further cooperation or communication with the man known to us as Spears…we have found no further reasons to suspect your involvement."

Elizabeth breathed in deeply, almost feeling weak with relief though she kept it to herself as she continued to glare at the line of SHIELD's officers of Internal Affairs. Agent Hill stood up while the others made ready to leave and walked up to Elizabeth with a strange look on her face. It was not apologetic, maybe more frustrated for having wasted time on what had turned into a dead end.

"We've misjudged you." She spoke as she handed Elizabeth back her SHIELD identification. Hill gave her another look as she indifferently took back the badge, and then left to attend to more important, more meaningful matters. Elizabeth took it as a sign that she was dismissed. Without pause she left the room, striding past the agent placed outside that had been her rude guard happily with the knowledge that he would no longer be ghosting about her door frame.

It was obvious what was next for her. Having been locked away for three days with thanks to her false implication with Spears, Selvig and Banner had to pause their research. They tried to interpret the maps Elizabeth had laid out for them as well as the notes she had left for them, but had difficulty deciphering her chaotic scribbles. Despite how exhausted she was, she decided to help them for a while before collapsing in fatigue, now more than ever determined to get this whole little adventure over and done with.

"Hello Selvig." She greeted as she marched through the lab doors, heels clicking loudly in her haste. Looking up from the desk he was bent over, the man beamed to see his younger colleague come up to stand beside him. She was happy to see him, happier now that one of her hundred worries had been expelled.

"Little Lizzie lives another day. Glad to see you back." His voice was a little hoarse, like he too had caught little sleep, and Elizabeth tried to smirk.

"I'd say glad to be back, but nothing here is really all that pleasant."

"Hey." Called out Banner in mock offense, coming over to the table the others were at. Elizabeth's false humor turned into a genuine smile at the look of welcome in Banner's expression.

"Present company excluded of course."

Selvig clapped his hands together, rubbing them eagerly as he straightened himself up. "Now that we got back our archaeologist returned to us, we can get back to work. And the sooner we find out what the giants want, the better."

"Agreed." Approved Elizabeth, moving to go over to what was messily claimed as her work station, "What have you two managed while I've been gone?"

"I've been looking into where the source of energy came from. Obviously it did not originate here, but came from somewhere else." Banner answered her, typing something into the small tablet in his hand. One of the large screens that hung down about the lab sprang to life, showing a map of the solar system.

"Anything less obvious or vague?" Elizabeth asked a little hopeful, but he disappointed her by shaking his head.

"Not really. All I can say is that with the position Thor provided for frost giants' realm relative to Earth, the energy did not come from there."

"So, any clue where it did come from?"

"We're still not sure." Banner admitted hesitantly. Elizabeth noted the furrowing of his brows as he went back to his station. He did not seem the kind of man to be left puzzled, and it was clear that this little chore for SHIELD was beginning to vex him too. Sighing, she started pulling out a multitude of books she used for references.

"Right, so, back to square one then."

"No. Square one and a half, maybe." Muttered Selvig as he finally stood up. Watching Elizabeth with concern as she started to sit herself down and jot down notes, the older man shook his head. He could see that she was exhausted and something was clearly troubling her. Knowing Elizabeth it would take heaven and hell to convince her to take a well-deserved rest, but he tired anyway.

"How about you go get some sleep? We can hold down the fort here."

"I'd prefer to work if that's alright you with." Elizabeth tersely replied without looking towards her friend. She didn't want to get back to her room. And sleep was entirely out of the question. If she was of any use, it would be here, helping the two scientists figure this puzzle out. There was something she was not quite seeing yet, and through her own research it was only starting to become somewhat tangible. She had an inkling that it and her private research could be very important keys to this whole thing, and was determined to figure it out.

"It's not." Selvig told her firmly as he came closer to place a hand on her shoulder, "Go on, shoo. Get some rest."

The light blonde woman finally turned to look at her friend. His expression left little room for debate, and Elizabeth was a little surprised by the amount of determination he had to win this little argument. Almost immediately she had to fight the urge to tell him what was really going on, to ask for his advice and help as she had done many times before, but she only sighed in exasperation. She felt her exhaustion deepening itself at the effort to appear fine. Begrudgingly she nodded when she saw that her friend was right. In this state she was going to be completely useless in about an hour and would do no one, least of all herself, any good.

"At least let me take these back and look over them. With the way things look I'm going to have to start planning an expedition back to Iceland." She bartered, and knowing that this was as good as he was going to get from her, Selvig nodded in agreement. Picking up the small pile of books she had just taken out into her arms, she made to leave.

"If anything happens…come and get me." She said as she paused by the door. Selvig rolled his eyes but humored her.

"Will do. Now off with you."

Elizabeth did not immediately return to her room. She had spent the better part of three days trapped within there and wanted to stretch her legs. Finally starting to remember the lay out of the complex, she made her way to the cafeteria. Though a long nap sounded good, she felt the ache of caffeine was needed. After drowning a tall cup of black coffee in sugar she walked slowly through halls, apprehensive and peering down all corners for any sign of trouble.

Without an incident she made it back to her room. She struggled to turn on a lamp while setting her cup and books down on her glass end table by her parlor chairs. Once its dim light flicked on to bat away some of the shadows, she collapsed on her bed with a happy groan. She had just managed to clean the place up from when the agents first tore through it, though it still maintained her usual level of organized chaos. Despite that, the room still felt off and she no longer thought of as an environment to relax in.

Feeling the back of her head beginning to itch at the tightness of her bun, she let her hair loose to fall to her mid-back. She leaned down then to start removing her shoes, debating whether to shower or just change out into some warmer clothes as her room now felt cold.

Quietly, so quietly Elizabeth doubted it happened, a small noise came from the open door of her bathroom. Immediately she straightened, expecting something dangerous to rush her.

When nothing happened, she foolishly decided to investigate. Slowly standing, she tried her best to quietly come over to the small bathroom. With only the light of the small lamp to guide her, she had to get closer than she would have wanted just to see. Peering around the door, she glanced inside, and was relieved to see that there was nothing. Just in case she leaned in to peer through the glass door of her shower, but again, nothing.

"Hello doctor." Alluringly whispered a voice by her ear.

"Fan!" Elizabeth exclaimed with a start. Her hands flew to her mouth before a shriek could follow as she sharply turned around to look for the last being she wanted to see but had been expecting. Though she could have sworn by the closeness of his voice he had just been standing behind her, she was glad Loki was instead sitting down on her bed at the spot she had just been.

"I heard about your little trial. Congratulations on your innocence." He stated indifferently, though he was smirking at her look of surprise. Elizabeth worked her frayed nerves together to summon what little remained of her calm. She had been expecting him to visit her again, but had foolishly hoped it would not be this soon.

"Were you worried I was going to tell them about you? I couldn't do that without landing myself a guilty sentence." She said with narrowed eyes, wondering what the best approach with him that would not get her killed. Since he easily saw through her lies last time she supposed honesty, though not always the best of policies, was all that was left to her.

At his pointed, almost studious glance over her and her attire, Elizabeth stood straighter as his eyes dragged up and down her form.

Uncomfortable that he was blatantly scrutinizing her, as she decided to return the stare. The first the she noticed was the archaic look of his tunic and leather trousers. They were mostly black embellished with, of course, green and gold affluences ending with a pair of boots wrapped in buckled gaiters. Asgard's version on casual she supposed. Moving higher, his hair was slicked back, the dark strands ending at the back of his long neck and the sharpness of his features were softened in the low light. Elizabeth could now see more easily the subtle differences Loki had from his counterpart, Spears. Namely that Loki was paler in complexion, almost ghostly, and his eyes, which met hers the moment she glanced to them, were richer in color.

"How do you do that?" She asked to break up the silence and stare down, "Just appear? Thor said Odin took your powers."

"Yes, and he also said that I was locked away, never again to see the light. You really should not believe everything you hear." He chastised her with a sneer as he pushed off her bed to stand up, glancing about him like the room had a more significant existence than she. Taking a step closer to watch his movements, Elizabeth shook her head, confused.

"If you have your powers why pester me? What use am I to you?" Loki did not look towards her as he peered over one of the maps she had lying about.

"As you have been told, I have been…limited." At that admittance he almost looked pained to share, but continued on indifferently, "Not all my abilities are at my disposal. Besides that, I cannot risk anything that would allow them to suspect that I am here. Magic often attracts magic."

"You mean Heimdall." Elizabeth stated, connecting the scattered pieces of information he was giving her. He gave her a nod as he continued to move throughout the room while Elizabeth came to stand the middle of it. Though she doubted any help could be found on the other side of her door or that Loki would ever let her get near enough to escape from it, she felt somewhat safer as she edged toward it. It was a false feeling, she knew, but she welcomed it regardless.

"After your little scuffle with the giants, Thor asked the Watcher to closely guard Midgard. Anything out of place is to be immediately reported. It was difficult before to keep my identity hidden, but now it has become strenuously so." Loki went on to explain before coming to stop by her desk. He glanced over her items and notes, and Elizabeth felt a twinge of annoyance as he shuffled some papers around. She did not like to have her personal effects touched by others, seeing it as an invasion of herself, and that feeling intensified knowing it was Loki prodding around her knick-knacks.

"I still possess my skills of deception and disguise however." He continued, his tone betraying nothing, "But it has been more troublesome than I initially imagined to climb the ladder rungs of this organization to get close to what I want from it, my talents aside."

At this he finally spared Elizabeth a glance. She balked at the passionate green in his eyes that very nearly seemed to glow in the dim light of her room, as if they were toxic. Never did she think it possible for her to be made jumpy by a simple color. "By myself, there is too much I can do but remain hidden. But with an accomplice, I can finally obtain my goals."

"If that is the case then how did you even escape or even leave the realm of Asgard?" Elizabeth pressed, curious as to how he could be here on Earth and have it not be obvious to his retainers that he was no longer in whatever cell they had placed him in. She knew Loki was a god of many tricks, but that no one had yet to notice him missing seemed a bit farfetched, however talented he was.

"That's enough questions for now, doctor. I am here to satisfy my curiosity, not yours." Loki disregarded as he then leaned up against her desk. She watched as he picked up an object off it in mild curiosity, and she twitched to see it was a skull.

"Don't touch that!" She shouted, forgetting for a moment who he was as she rushed over in front of him to try and take it from him to place somewhere safe. Loki stopped her with a look of warning a few feet from him. Observing the way her hands flexed anxiously he brought the skull closer for inspection.

"Is this of personal value to you?" He very nearly taunted.

"He's an old friend." At her explanation Loki looked at her oddly, like another eye had appeared in the middle of her forehead. She sighed exasperatingly as she gently, cautiously, took a hold of the skull from his grip, careful not to touch his fingers. It surprised her that he allowed her to take it with only a look of jaded curiosity.

"Found him on my first expedition, so yes, he's sentimental. And delicate." She turned from him to walk over to the shelves that lined up one of the walls in her room. Before placing him down in his spot of honor, she dusted the skull off with gentle strokes of her fingers, as if she could wipe away where Loki's hands had been. She turned to see him smirking derisively at her again, but never minded the expression as she pressed onto the questions she needed answered.

"So what are these goals of yours exactly? You want me to help you take over Earth? Become king?"

Loki scoffed and pushed himself away from her desk to stride over to where Elizabeth stood,"I have no new plans to dominate your kind. For the time being there is no reward in it for me. True, your kind would benefit from the guidance–" At this Elizabeth had to repress the need to roll her eyes, "–but I have other matters that require my attentions."

"Such as?" She pressed.

"That cave you so love much. You know more than you are telling."

Elizabeth almost sighed in frustration. It was becoming quite annoying that everyone seemed to know about her private research, something that she had wanted to keep to herself until she was more certain. She had managed to find out that SHIELD did not know much more than her superiors at Culver University did, which she hoped that would be the way it stayed, but that Loki was also aware of it irked her. Still, she did not attempt to lie about it like she had to Agent Coulson.

"Yes. I mean, I've had a hypothesis about it for some time and in light of recent events, I'm inclined to believe that–"

"It does not matter what you believe or not." Loki cut her off, taking a step closer to tower over where she stood to peer down at her using the twelve inch difference between their heights, "All I require is that you get SHIELD to believe it is of significant importance to explore further."

"Why don't you go explore it for yourself since you're free? Why bother to use SHIELD at all?" She asked, not daring to increase the space between her and Loki, sensing this was another one of his ways to display his power over her. Now having come to expect it from him, her willfulness would not allow her to cringe away so easily, at least outwardly. Inward she couldn't help but feel her calm slowly ticking away with every second he loomed over her.

"There are instances when it is preferable to use others than labor for oneself. This happens to be one such circumstance." At his clarification Elizabeth frowned.

"So while you keep a low profile, I do your dirty work?"

"Fascinating way of putting your situation, but essentially yes." He smirked at her interpretation while she again had to repress a roll of her eyes. She supposed now no matter what she said he was determined to have her as his lackey. His purpose at least wasn't to start another hostile takeover, or at least that was what he said. Elizabeth could get behind that, or rather, be less unwilling to be coerced into helping for that. If it had been to start a war she wouldn't have been so inclined but she had to wonder then what all of her troubles were for.

"Why are you so interested in that cave? What's in there?" She probably shouldn't have asked. The less she knew the easier it would be to pull herself out if Loki would let her. But with a reflective tilt of his head, Loki vaguely answered her desperate questions.

"I think you know very well what is in that cave, Dr. Jonsson. But for clarity's sake, let's just say that I am intrigued for the very same reason the frost giants are but more for…bargaining purposes."

"So then you already know what's down there? Specifically?" Elizabeth observed, "Again, I hardly see what you need me for. You seem to know more than I do."

Loki ignored her comment to instead take another step nearer, making the distance between them impossibly close. He really had no consideration for her personal space and Elizabeth was faced with the daunting task of not shaking like a leaf before him. A hand of his came up to fondle the length of her hair that parted over her shoulder, running his long fingers down through the strands. She barely kept herself from flinching as she watched his movements cautiously, having expected him to hit her. Again she felt the aversion of his touch that, under other circumstances she supposed, would have been mistaken for intimacy. Anything and everything to get a rise out of her it seemed. It was obvious he liked to tease and play with her before tearing her down, like a dog with a wounded rabbit. His ploy was working, Elizabeth unprepared for this tactic and fairly shuddering with the want to increase distance, as Loki went on to speak in a lower forbidding tone.

"This is my bargain. Obey me, and satisfy my need for knowledge, and no harm will come to you."

Elizabeth shook her head. She was a fool to believe him, and to accept this pact could very well mean the end of her freedom and possibly her life. But her hope was that SHIELD would soon know where Loki was or the Asgardians would notice him missing. He could very well soon make a mistake as he had before with Spears, and with that he would be caught without any further danger to herself. This was not her war, she was merely a brain for hire. It was not her job to stop him or to play hero, she would leave that to the Avengers. They could handle him like they had before. She had no choice in her acceptance, but at least she was secure in her reasons, despite her own personal moral outrage for the horridness of it all. However there was one detail she needed to clarify.

"You hurt Erik again I won't waste a second telling in Thor that you're here." She looked back up to hold his gaze, green against cerulean. She realized it probably was not the smartest thing to threaten him with his adopted brother, but it was all she had.

"That old man, you love him?" Loki sneered, almost as if in disgust. Elizabeth would not give him an answer to use against her, but he didn't need one, it being quite obvious. After a moment of consideration, with his eyes taking in the determination of her expression, he grinned.

"While sentiment is one of the more annoying traits of Midgardians, in this case it proves useful." He inclined his head towards her in an informal bow, "Keep to our bargain, and you have my word that he, and you, will come to no harm."

Elizabeth knew his word was no good, but again, she had no choice. She returned his gesture with a stiff nod of her own.

"I'm still not sure what you want me to do exactly." She went on after a moment. Loki turned away from her to start walking about her room again, towards her desk, and Elizabeth suddenly found she could breathe easier. She had not realized just how close he had been, their chests nearly touching, until she felt the loss of his heat.

"Endure any task I ask of you, as I am sure is in your nature." He explained directly as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Elizabeth however was not satisfied at having herself insulted, and pressed on for details.

"What would you have me do first?"

"For now, wait. I will come again when the time is right." Loki came to stop right before her desk, his back turned to Elizabeth. She watched as he folded his hands behind his back, his impressive posture relaxed and completely at ease. It was the final straw for her that he could remain so composed and almost amused to rip apart her life.

"And w-when will that be?" She pleaded in exhaustion, sick of his evasive answers and unspoken threats, finally letting go of her calm front. Knowing that he won once again as he would likely every time between the two of them, Loki turned on his heels to face her, a look of pure, cruel mischief riddled in his features. Elizabeth helplessly shivered at the expression.

"Patience, dear doctor. You will see me soon."

With that, before her very eyes, he disappeared. He did not fade away or transport with the sheen of some magical force into a puff of smoke. He simply was there one split second, she blinked, and then he was gone. Elizabeth did not move for some time, expecting him to pop out again and spook her one more time. A minute passed before the air seemed to be cleansed of his presence enough for her to breathe, think, and sigh.

She went over to her chairs, throwing herself unceremoniously onto the one nearest to her end table. Unsure how to carry on with her already long day, she grabbed her coffee. After one tentative sip, she scowled. It was ice cold.

Of course.

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'Fan' means devil in Swedish. It's sort of an exclamation, and I thought it fit considering it was Loki that spooked her. Speaking of which he is a bit of a dramatic fellow, isn't he? Always making poor Elizabeth jump. Well, in the next chapter things only get more difficult for poor Elizabeth. Thank you for making it this far and hope to see you in the next chapter!


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